Estoril Things to Do

It was a long time, since my last visit to Tamariz, in Estoril, a beach with good memories from my youth.

However, the new sights worried me a bit: the coast and town keeps well maintained (maybe better) but the sand in the beach has disappeared, having now half of the width and length of the old days.

Winter occasional action, or consistent degradation, Tamariz keeps sharing with "Torre" the top of my favorite beaches in Lisbon's coast.

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If you find the water at the beaches of Estoril and Cascais too cold, head to Tamariz swimming pool.
This swimming pool is located aside the train station.
It is outdoor and large. It's deep enough to swim. It uses filtered sea water. The water is warmer there because, being a pool, it's a smaller body of water warmed up by sunlight than the sea, and it's not under the influence of streams.

Beware that the swimming pool is not visible from the beach or from the town. There's a sign by the railway tunnel indicating the direction of the pool (2nd picture).

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The oldest in Portugal and the largest of its kind in Europe. CASINO DE ESTORIL is a multi- entertainment center offering a wide variety of games as well as daily cabaret and music hall shows. Besides gambling, the casino is a regular venue for all types of temporary exhibitions, particularly modern art and sculptures.
In a scenic setting overlooking Tamariz Beach, the Casino has attractive gardens with tall palm trees and fountains.

Besides the beach this is the main attraction of Estoril: the casino. It is the largest of Europe.
It has a long story, namely during the second world war, when it was attended by wealthy refugees and spies.
It is said that Ian Flemming, a former British spy an author of James Bond, attended the casino regularly during WWII so as to spy members of the 3rd Reich.
It was his life here that inspired the creation of James Bond. However it is also said that, although he came here regularly during WWII, he was not really active as a spy.

Some years ago, Macao's controversial gambling tycoon Stanley Ho bought this casino. Casino Estoril became then part of his Macao's empire of gambling, before Macao was handed over by the Portuguese to China in 1999.

If you like gambling, well, do it but be careful - should have written this in the warnings and dangers section. I actually know people who have became addicted and lost a lot of money here.
However you can also have dinner and see a show here. There are many events taking place here, from concerts to theatre.

The garden in front is quite beautiful.

The casino looked very tacky by day. Perhaps it looks better in the evening. It's the biggest casino in Europe and as we found few bars and restaurants in Estoril, perhaps it is the place to go if you are staying here.

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The busiest part of Estoril, at least during our visit, was the beach. In mid-July with extremely high temperatures you'd expect no less. The beach is quite nice though parts of it were sectioned off and you had to pay to sunbathe here. The water wasn't too clean which was a little surprising given how popular Estoril is with tourists.

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Before we went to the beach we had a quick look around Estoril. The nicest area we found was the Parque do Estoril above the beach. The park is a nice place to relax and we spent a time hiding from the sun beneath the trees. There are fountains, flowers and statues - the only thing that looks out of place is the casino at its northern end.

Sit/lie on the beaches & get a good tan. Sandy beaches, with some loungers for hire. There is a wide promenade behind the beaches, with showers, toilets & changing rooms, recycling points, and cafes. There are underpasses to get under the railway line & the main road. Watched a lot of people sailing out of the harbour at Cascais. There are some seawater swimming pools. A lovely spot to do nothing.

Note that the tide can come in quite quickly, so be prepared to grab your towel & shoes and run!