The beaches, the restaurants, the old town or sailing and surfing are perhaps the aspects we most associate with our beautiful city – but there is so much more to see in this magnificent Portuguese territory by the sea. This article is about just that, about the richness of the municipality where Hotel Baía is located, and what it has to offer in one specific area: today we’re going to talk about Culture in Cascais.
Here are our suggestions.
Theater
Experimental Theater of Cascais
Located in Monte Estoril, on Avenida Fausto de Figueiredo, the TEC is a theater with a long tradition in our municipality, having been active since 1965.
It is one of the longest-established theater companies in the world, usually putting on plays by classic authors such as Aristophanes, Lorca, Racine, Lope de Vega, Shakespeare, Ibsen or Tenesse Williams, as well as contemporary authors.
TEC has won several awards, both for its company and for its individual directors and actors, and has taken part in numerous national and international festivals.
It also does important work in promoting theater in schools, in partnership with the Cascais City Council, and in 1991, also in partnership with the city council, it created the Cascais Professional Theater School, which to date has trained hundreds of theater professionals in our country. Also noteworthy is the creation of the youth theater festival, Mostra_T, which gives young creators the chance to bring their plays to the stage.
Enjoy the Teatro Experimental de Cascais during your stay at our hotel.
Music
Cascais Jazz Club
A few meters from the Hotel Baía, you’ll find one of the most interesting cultural spots in Cascais.
At the Cascais Jazz Club, you’ll find Jazz, Blues and Bossa-Nova concerts most of the week, like few other places on the line.
From Wednesday to Sunday, five days a week, you can enjoy the technical virtuosity and groove of the musicians who come through this pleasant venue from 8.30pm to 1.30am.
We highly recommend it.
SMUP – Sociedade Musical União Paredense
In the town of Parede, known for its traditional shops and just a few minutes from the center of Cascais, you’ll find a place where there’s no shortage of concerts.
As well as offering music and theater classes and dance workshops, the SMUP hosts festivals and concerts for most of the year.
Founded on March 4, 1899, the SMUP has a century-long history of musical training, cultural events, social action and entertainment, as well as being a link to the local community.
Its building, built in the late 1930s on a plot of land donated by Admiral José Nunes da Matta, an illustrious military man from Paredão, was recently renovated and reopened with a new lease of life in March 2015.
It is one of the best places in Cascais to listen to music or meet friends for a beer by the sea.
Cinema
Cascaishopping and Atlântida Cine
Gone are the days of the glamorous cinemas of the 20th century, but it is still possible, of course, to take advantage of your vacations in Cascais to relax and be entertained by a movie on a big screen.
You have two options at your disposal, perhaps somewhat opposite in their register and viewing experience.
Let’s start with the more “mass-market” option, the Cascaishopping cinema. Located in Cascais’ main shopping center, there are 8 screens where you can catch up on the big Hollywood productions and all the films that are on the commercial scene’s radar.
It’s also a movie theater more conducive to popcorn and soft drinks, with more technological viewing options that can accommodate 3D films and IMAX sessions.
It’s the kind of cinema where you’ll find families, groups of teenagers, couples on dates or birthday parties, making it a fun experience for those who enjoy the thrill of a packed room in a horror movie or that feeling of collective laughter in a comedy.
The other option is more niche, but no worse. The Atlântide Cine in Carcavelos is a reference point for movie-goers on the Cascais coastline and the surrounding area.
Open since 1982, when this type of independent theater was quite common, it is now a survivor, a relic for those who appreciate an old-fashioned cinema experience.
It doesn’t make a point of selling big buckets of popcorn and glasses of soda (although it does have a bar), nor does it do a lot of advertising before the movie – instead, it focuses on a more sophisticated curation of the films on show, in two quieter rooms and with a more demanding audience in terms of the cinematic experience. A true beacon of culture in Cascais when it comes to the Seventh Art.
In any of them, you’ll have a great entertainment experience just a few minutes from your hotel.
Museums and Monuments
Culture in Cascais is equally well served when it comes to museums. There are many options if you want to take a stroll and be inspired by an art or history exhibition, or if you have a specific artist or piece you want to see live.
The choice will depend on your taste and predisposition, but we’re going to give you a list here and highlight those that are perhaps the most iconic and unmissable.
- Museu do Mar – Rei D. Carlos
- Paula Rego House of Stories
- Portuguese Music Museum – Casa Verdades de Faria
- Cascais Citadel Palace
- Fort of São Jorge de Oitavos
- Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum
- Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum
- Exiles Memory Space
- Cascais Experimental Theater Memory Space
- Casa de Santa Maria
Paula Rego House of Stories
This is undoubtedly one of the municipality’s main museum attractions, and one of Cascais’ cultural landmarks.
Opened in 2009 and designed by renowned architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, the museum is worth visiting not only for its collection of works by Portuguese and British artist Paula Rego, but also for its pyramidal building in shades of red, the surrounding garden with terrace and its 200-seat auditorium.
Much has already been said about Paula Rego, but it’s always worth remembering the importance of this artist, who was born in Lisbon in 1935 and left us in 2022.
Her work deals with female identity, the family and its relationship dynamics, political and social commentary, gender and sexuality, trauma and memory, themes that she punctuates with surreal, figurative, mythological and folkloric elements.
His artistic merit has earned him decorations from the Portuguese Republic and the English Crown.
Cascais Citadel Palace
The official summer residence of the President of the Portuguese Republic, it has been open to the public since 2011, after four years of construction work, for guided tours of the palace and chapel, exhibitions, concerts and other events or initiatives carried out by the Presidency.
The Citadel, the fortress surrounding the palace, was classified as a Property of Public Interest in 1977 – it’s well worth a visit if you’re staying at the Hotel Baía, both for its beauty and its geographical proximity.
For all these reasons, it is a cultural landmark in Cascais.
Now you know, these are some of the cultural programs you can do during your stay at Hotel Baía.
Best wishes for an excellent vacation, and enjoy the culture in Cascais.