Navigating Estoril

From TCU Wiki
Revision as of 13:09, 16 September 2024 by Ursula (talk | contribs)


Interactive Estoril Map Created by GG Team

picture of boys jumping in the sea @ Estoril

Here is an interactive map created by the Global Gathering team, which has the location of different services, vegan restaurants, cafes, train spots, supermarkets, and cool natural and cultural spots that you can find in Estoril (such as surf spots).


In addition, we have included other useful information below, including recommended day trips, how to order coffee, and more.

Useful Tips & Tools

💱 Ordering Food to Your Home

Note: If you are interested ordering food to your hotel/home, in Portugal they use the app Glovo

💱 ATMs & Banks

We have two Multibanco ATM spots next to the Global Gathering. We recommend to avoid Euronet ATMs, since they don't notify you about how much they will charge you for using their services.

  • You can only withdraw 200 euros at a time from an ATM (600 euro max per day).
  • Check with the bank the best process to make a withdrawal.
  • Banks are the easiest places to exchange money, charging around €3 to €5 commission.
  • Debit and major credit cards (especially Visa and MasterCard) are widely accepted.
Attribution: https://www.beportugal.com/portuguese-coffee/

💱 Useful Tips: Ordering Coffee & Beer

Coffee

There is a lot of great coffee in Lisbon, but ordering can be confusing. There are many different ways to order a coffee. To the right of this text is a mini visual guide to make sure you get the coffee you want:

🍻 Beer

Much like ordering a coffee, there are a number of ways to order beer in portugal. If you order “uma cerveja” you will likely be asked if you want a pint or a bottle. Here are some tips so you can get the beer you want.

  • Small draft beer: um imperial
  • Large draft beer: uma caneca
  • A bottle: uma garrafa


Travel and Public Transportation

Estoril, Portugal is only 25 km. from central Lisbon and is located on a main train line from Lisbon. The Global Gathering Summit and Feira venue is only a 5 - 10 minute walk from the Estoril train station. Check the Planning Your Trip page for more details.

Public Transportation

Taxis and Ride Sharing Services

Bikes Rentals

Renting a bike is also an option in the Estoril-Cascais area. These two bike rental companies offer rentals ranging from 1 hour to 7 days:

Tourism

Lisboa has several Tourism Information Centers and an official website with useful information like the weather, how to get tickets for the public transportation, things to see and do and other details.

If you have free time during the Global Gathering, you can check the Free Tours happening in Lisbon. The main language is English but you can find tours in Spanish, French, Italian, German and other languages.

🏰 Day Trips around Estoril

1. Enjoy a Beach Day

pedrik, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Pedrik, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Many easily accessible beaches run along the coast from Estoril to Cascais. The closest beaches to the GG event space are Praia da Poça and Praia do Tamariz. Both beaches are only a 15-minute walk from the event space and have nice beach bars for lunch or drinks while you are relaxing in the sun.

If you want to go a bit farther, you can take the train from Estoril station to Cascais station, then bike or take a ride share/taxi to Praia do Guincho. Praia do Guincho is a famous beach for windsurfing and is inaccessible by public transportation.

2. Bicycle from Cascais to Guincho Beach

Praia do Guincho is a beautiful Atlantic-facing beach famous for both surfing and kite surfing. The 10km (about 30 minutes/1 hour round trip) bike ride runs alongside the N247 on a separate bike path starting in Cascais. The path runs alongside the coast and affords views of tourist sights like the Farol do Guia lighthouse, the São Jorge de Oitavos fort and the fortaleza do Guincho.

Rent city bicycles here - these bikes are part of the city of Cascais cycling program. Prices are cheaper but don’t expect high quality bikes. Identification is needed to rent the bicycles. *For faster, lighter bicycles search for private bike rentals in Cascais.

The bike bath begins in front of the Hotel Vila Galé Cascais and ends at the beginning of Guincho beach.

Amenities (during high season):
  • Meste Zé Restaurant - https://www.mesteze.com/pt/
  • Restaurante Muchaxo Restaurant - +351 214 870 221
  • Bar do Guincho Beach Bar - http://www.bardoguincho.pt/
  • Moana Surf School - http://www.moanasurfschool.com/
  • Shaka Surf School - https://www.shaka.pt/
  • Vasco da Gama Surf Academy - https://www.vascodagamasurf.com/

3. Day trip to Sintra  - UNESCO Cultural Landscape

“In the 19th century Sintra became the first centre of European Romantic architecture. Ferdinand II turned a ruined monastery into a castle where this new sensitivity was displayed in the use of Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance elements and in the creation of a park blending local and exotic species of trees. Other fine dwellings, built along the same lines in the surrounding serra, created a unique combination of parks and gardens which influenced the development of landscape architecture throughout Europe.” Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0.

Main Tourist Sights:
- The National Palace of Sintra
- Park and National Palace of Pena
- Quinta da Regaleira
➡️ By Train:

Lisbon (Rossio Station) to Sintra:

  • 45 minutes
  • Price: €2.40
  • Website: https://www.cp.pt/sites/passageiros/pt/consultar-horarios/horarios-resultado

Cascais to Sintra:

  • 1.5 hours
  • Price: €3.40
  • Website: https://www.cp.pt/sites/passageiros/pt/consultar-horarios/horarios-resultado
➡️ By RideShare:
  • Lisbon center to Sintra: €25.00 - 30.00
  • Estoril to Sintra: €10.00 - 15.00

4. Fábrica Braço de Prata

Attribution: Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, Portugal, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fábrica Braço de Prata is an old ammunition factory that has been converted into a cultural center in the Marvila neighborhood of Lisbon. From Tuesday to Sunday, this event space houses several concerts, art exhibits, and literary events in every room of the building. You can buy a ticket to enter the factory and wander from room to room for 10 Euros. On any given night, you can see 2-3 concerts. There is also a restaurant/bar and a bookstore that stays open until 1 am.

How to get there:

➡️ By Public Transportation: Take the train from the Estoril train station to the Cais do Sodre train station. Directly outside of the station, you will find the bus stop for the 781 bus. Take the 781 bus in front of the Cais do Sodre train station directly to the Poço Bispo stop. Note: Late in the evening it is difficult to take public transportation from Fabrica back to Cascais.

➡️ By Taxi/Rideshare App: Approx. 20-25 Euros

5. Day Trip to Belém

Attribution: Marina Guedes, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Belém is on the Tagus River and is easily accessible by train from Estoril. Some interesting landmarks include the Jerónimos Monastery, the planetarium, and the Tropical Botanical Gardens. It is also home to the famous Pastéis de Belém bakery, which follows the original recipe created by monks living in the Jerónimos Monastery. Review the following attractions in Belém:

➡️ Getting there by public transportation: Take the train from Estoril to the Belém train station. All of the sights are within a 10-30 minute walk from the train station.

➡️ By RideShare: Estoril to Belem train station: Approx. 10-15 euros.

6. Estufa Fria Greenhouse

Attribution: Bex Walton from London, England, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Estufa Fria is a beautiful 1.5-hectare botanical garden in Eduardo VII Park. The greenhouse boasts 300 different species of plants from all over the world. It is a perfect place to be in nature without leaving the city.

  • Website: https://estufafria.lisboa.pt/
  • Address: Parque Eduardo VII, 1070-051 Lisboa, Portugal
  • Open: Tuesday - Sunday, from 10:00am - 19:00pm
  • Tickets: 3.50 euros

➡️ Getting there by public transportation: Take the train from the Estoril train station to the Cais do Sodre train station. Change trains to the Blue Line until Marquês de Pombal. From there it is a 12-minute walk north through the park.

7. See a Fado Concert

Portuguese fado singer Fábia Rebordão. Attribution: Jimmy Baikovicius from Montevideo, Uruguay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fado is a genre of music believed to originate in the early 19th century in Lisbon. Fado music is usually performed with a guitar, a Portuguese guitar, and a Fado singer. The music is often identified by its rich, melancholy melodies. Neighborhoods like Alfama and Mouraria are still famous for fado houses where visitors can watch fado shows while eating dinner or having a drink.

If you are interested in the history of this musical genre, visit the Fado Museum and see a live show at a number of fado houses throughout the city. Many of the fado houses will charge for dinner, but if you are not interested in eating at the venue you can often arrive for the late viewing (around 11pm) and order drinks. Many of the fado houses will stay open until 2am.

Fado Houses to visit:

8. Visit the Castle of Sao Jorge

Castelo de Sao Jorge. Attribution: islandjoe from Helsinki, Finland, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Castle of Sao Jorge sits in the center of the city and was classified as a National Monument in 1910. Since the 12th century, it has served as a royal palace, a military barracks, and, more recently, a place to take in views of the city and attend concerts.

Take the opportunity to visit the castle and enjoy the wonderful views over the city and the Tagus River. Also, explore the surrounding historic Alfama and Mouraria neighborhoods. In the evening, when its walls are illuminated, the castle offers a magical view of Lisbon’s skyline.

➡️ Getting there by public transportation: Take the train from Estoril train station to Cais do Sodre train station. Transfer from the train line to the green metro line and get off at Rossio. From Rossio, it's about an 18-minute walk uphill to the castle.

9. Visit LX Factory Market

LX Factory is a historic industrial complex that has been converted into more than 50 shops, bars, restaurants, and cafes. On Sundays there is an additional outdoor market where you can find clothes, food, jewelry, and more.

➡️ Getting there by public transportation: Take the train from the Estoril train station to the Alcantara Mar train station. LX factory is a 12 minute walk from the train station.

10. Visit the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and the Gulbenkian Gardens

Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. Attribution: Sheila Thomson from London, England, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian was a British Armenian businessman and art collector who created the Gulbenkian Museum and donated his collection after his death in 1955. The museum and library is nestled in a 7.5 hectare garden. Visit the museum and bring a picnic lunch in the garden.

➡️ Getting there by public transportation: The two closest metro stations to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation are São Sebastião (blue and red lines) and Praça de Espanha (blue line).

Healthcare

Pharmacies

Farmácia do Parque

  • 6 minutes walking from the Global Gathering
  • From Monday to Sunday - 9am - 8pm
  • R. das Arcadas do Parque 15 e 16, 2765-266 Estoril, Portugal

Farmácia Ostende

  • 21 minutes walking from the Global Gathering (next to the Monte Estoril train station)
  • From Monday to Sunday - 9am - 8pm
  • Tv. do Mercado nº1-B, 2765-426 Estoril, Portugal

Farmácia São João

  • 20 minutes walking from the Global Gathering (next to the Sao Joao do Estoril train station)
  • From Monday to Friday - 8:30am - 8pm
  • Saturday - 9am - 7pm
  • Praça da Carreira 29, 2765-472 Estoril, Portugal

Hospitals

Hospital CUF Cascais

  • R. Fernão Lopes 60, 2750-663 Cascais, Portugal
  • +351 21 114 1400

Emergency Hospital of Cascais

  • Av. Brigadeiro Victor Novais Gonçalves, 2755-009 Alcabideche, Portugal
  • +351 21 465 3000

Emergencies

If you need the emergency services, call de 112, which is the Europe-wide emergency number.

Check the map to see where the main hospitals and pharmacies are in the city.