Despite naming Portugal as one of my all-time favourite countries to visit, I’d shamefully never made it to Cascais. Lisbon, Faro and the Algarve have long been regular favourites, so when a wedding invitation landed in my inbox, I jumped at the chance to celebrate love and tick off another corner of the country I love – the home of vinho verde, pastel de nata and some of Europe’s most beautiful coastline.
In fact, I was so determined to go that I delayed my final chemotherapy session by a week to make it happen. That meant a lengthy conversation with travel insurers and more paperwork than I’d care to remember, but after a stay at Onyria Quinta da Marinha Hotel, I can safely say it was worth every minute.
After landing at Lisbon Airport, it was an easy taxi ride west to the hotel, passing immaculate golf courses, elegant villas and luxury resorts as we made our way towards the coast. Before we’d even checked in, it felt like we’d left city life behind.
The lobby delivers exactly what you’d hope from a five-star hotel: light-filled without feeling clinical, stylish without trying too hard, and filled with calming natural tones and greenery. It made a change from hospital waiting rooms, and I was in heaven.
Our room wasn’t quite ready, so we headed to the terrace for lunch instead. The service was laid back and we weren’t in a hurry so we settled into the sunshine with colourful poke bowls and a chilled glass of rosé. Having escaped London’s sticky heatwave, the Cascais sunshine felt entirely different – warm rather than oppressive, with a gentle breeze that just hit differently to the UK. It was exactly the kind of afternoon that deserved a second glass (with permission from my oncologist!).
Once our room was prepared, we found ourselves in a large bedroom overlooking the golf course. Even the standard room felt generously sized compared with many hotels I’ve stayed in, with plenty of room to spread out and get ready for a wedding weekend. It was peaceful, comfortable and wonderfully quiet – exactly what you want after a day of travelling.
The trip carried extra significance for me because it was my first holiday since being diagnosed with breast cancer. Coincidentally, my last holiday before everything changed had also been to Portugal, staying in Quinta do Lago, in the Algarve. Returning to the country after months of surgery, chemotherapy and recovery felt positively full circle.
And of course, it made the spa top of my itinerary.
Located in the heart of the hotel, the Natur Spa centres around a tranquil turquoise indoor pool that was inviting me from the moment we arrived. After months of hospital appointments, sore muscles and far too much time sitting in treatment chairs, my limbs were desperate for some TLC.
It certainly didn’t disappoint. My treatment room was spacious and calming, and for the first time in what felt like months, I completely relaxed. I floated back out afterwards in a fluffy robe, feeling lighter than I had in a very long time.
As tempting as it was to collapse into the enormous bed afterwards, we hadn’t flown to Portugal just to sleep. Instead, we grabbed a short taxi into Cascais’ charming old town. The seaside town is every bit as pretty as its reputation suggests, with cobbled streets, colourful buildings and Portuguese friendliness. We wandered around in sundresses and flip flops, stopping for fresh fish before inevitably finishing with ice cream by the coast. It didn’t take long before I was mentally planning a return visit, this time with a little longer to explore.
Back at the hotel and after an amazing night’s sleep, I learnt why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I’ve been fortunate enough to stay in plenty of excellent hotels over the years, so my breakfast standards are admittedly high. Onyria easily exceeded them!
While the selection covered all the usual favourites, it was the quality that stood out. Instead of syrupy cartons, there was a fresh orange juice machine squeezing fruit to order. The hot items was beautifully cooked rather than left sweaty and greasy under heat lamps, with buttery scrambled eggs and sides. There was a pancake station keeping younger guests entertained, and a wonderfully soft orange cake that came dangerously close to replacing pastel de nata as my favourite Portuguese sweet treat.
And the best fruit I can remember – fresh sweet mango and melon disappeared onto our plates, going back for more every day. Five stars isn’t enough!
Most of our weekend was, of course, filled with wedding celebrations, but we still found plenty of time to enjoy the hotel’s peaceful pool, beautiful grounds and wonderfully relaxed atmosphere.
I arrived excited simply to discover a new part of Portugal, and left wondering why I’d waited so long to visit. I’ll definitely be back. Obrigada, Cascais!
