Cascais (kush-kaish) has rocketed from sleepy fishing village to much-loved summertime playground of wave-frolicking lisboêtasever since King Luís I went for a dip in 1870. Its trio of golden bays attracts sun-worshipping holidaymakers, who come to splash in the ice-cold Atlantic. Don’t expect to get much sand to yourself at the weekend, though.

There’s plenty of post-beach life, with winding lanes leading to small museums, cool gardens, a shiny marina and a pedestrianized old town dotted with designer boutiques and alfresco fish restaurants. After dark, lively bars fuel the party. There's also great surfing at Praia do Guincho, 9km northwest, and running or cycling along the shoreline path.

With its swish hotels, turreted villas and glitzy casino, Estoril (shtoe-reel) once fancied itself as the Portuguese Riviera. The rich and famous came here to frolic in the sea, stroll palm-fringed landscaped gardens and fritter away their fortunes. Though it still has a whiff of faded aristocracy, those heady days of grandeur have passed. Today, Estoril remains a well-to-do, less touristy option than Cascais with a nice beach and casino. While some overnight guests may end up wishing they’d stayed in livelier Cascais, those looking for more peace and quiet will find a burgeoning guesthouse scene that yields some of the area's most memorable options. Estoril was where Ian Fleming hit on the idea for Casino Royale, as he stalked Yugoslav double-agent Dusko Popov at the casino. During WWII, the town heaved with exiles and spies (including Graham Greene, another British intelligence man and author).