There are some trips that arrive at exactly the right moment. My first visit to Portugal happened to be one of them and, as it turned out, it would become a trip defined by firsts.

It was my first time in Portugal, my first time sailing on the Atlantic, my first time seeing a dolphin in the open ocean and, on a more personal note, my first trip within the EU following my recent legal recognition in my home country of Italy. After a long process, there was something particularly poignant about arriving in another European country at the beginning of a new chapter in my own life.

The timing couldn’t have been better.

Our base was Cascais, the beautiful coastal town around 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, and the newly reopened Kimpton Quinta da Marinha, part of an estate with longstanding roots in the area.

Reopened on 1 July under the globally recognised Kimpton brand, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, the hotel remains part of the family owned Onyria Group, bringing Kimpton’s presence to Cascais while maintaining the estate’s connection to the family behind it.

Set among pine trees and golf greens, with the Atlantic close by, Kimpton Quinta da Marinha has 194 rooms and suites alongside indoor and outdoor pools, a spa and an 18 hole golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. Yet despite the scale of the property, what struck me most wasn’t simply the facilities. It was the people.

Members of staff told us stories of having left the hotel at different stages of their careers, only to find themselves drawn back. That sense of connection was something I felt throughout my stay, not only to the hotel but to Cascais itself. There was a warmth and pride in the way people spoke about the place and, over the following few days, I began to understand why.

Cascais from the Atlantic

Visit Cascais welcomed us with what I thought would be a relatively gentle sailing trip.

Within minutes, I was being directed around the boat as it tipped from side to side, cutting through the Atlantic swell. I was told to sit on the edge, legs hanging over the side, safely held beneath the boat’s lines as the water rushed past below me. And then, almost on cue, a dolphin appeared.

It leapt from the ocean beside us and began moving alongside the boat. I’d never seen a dolphin in the wild before, and there was something extraordinary about hanging over the edge of a sailing boat somewhere off the Portuguese coast, experiencing yet another first in the space of one afternoon.

The experience ended with a swim in the considerably cooler waters of the Atlantic. We’d barely completed our first day in Cascais and I was already sold.

From the water, we also began to understand some of the history woven through this stretch of coastline. Cascais has long attracted royalty, aristocrats and international figures. During the upheaval of 20th century Europe, it became home to exiled royals, including Umberto II, the last King of Italy, who settled here after the Italian monarchy was abolished in 1946. His former Cascais residence would later become part of the Grande Real Villa Itália Hotel & Spa.

As someone arriving directly after my own experience of legal recognition in Italy, discovering this unexpected Italian thread running through Cascais felt strangely fitting.

Then there is the area’s connection to another icon: James Bond. During the Second World War, neutral Portugal became a meeting point for diplomats, refugees, exiled royalty and spies. Ian Fleming spent time in Estoril while working for British Naval Intelligence, and Casino Estoril would later provide inspiration for his first Bond novel, Casino Royale.

Further along the coastline sits the wonderfully named Boca do Inferno, or “Mouth of Hell”, where the Atlantic crashes into a dramatic formation in the cliffs. There is something about the contrast between the elegance of Cascais and the force of the Atlantic surrounding it that became one of the things I loved most about the place. Portugal, Served Generously

And then there was the food.

Over the course of the trip there were croquetes de carne, chouriço, beautifully cooked steak, seafood and, inevitably, pastéis de nata dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar.

One of the standout meals came at Monte Mar Cascais, which has been serving fish and seafood since 1973. The restaurant sits directly above the Atlantic on the road towards Guincho, an area west of Cascais known for its beaches and dramatic coastline.

As the sun lowered across the ocean, we ate prawns, sea bass and some of the finest seafood I’ve experienced. Staff also took us below the restaurant to see where live seafood is kept before service, giving us a glimpse behind the scenes of a restaurant so closely connected to the ocean sitting just beyond it.

Above us, the Atlantic stretched towards the horizon. It was one of those evenings that captures why travel can be so intoxicating: exceptional food, warm air, an extraordinary setting and nowhere else you particularly need to be.

Two Hotels, Two Experiences

Back at Quinta da Marinha, we were able to explore not only Kimpton but its neighbouring sister property, Onyria Marinha Cascais, part of IHG’s Vignette Collection.

Although the two sit side by side and share the same family heritage, they offer noticeably different experiences. Kimpton Quinta da Marinha has a younger, more energetic feel, while Onyria Marinha feels more expansive and tranquil, particularly suited to families or travellers looking for a quieter resort experience.

I began to think of them almost as siblings: unmistakably related, but different in personality.

Across the estate, there was far more to explore than we could fit into a few days. The 18 hole golf course winds through Quinta da Marinha, while the pools, spa facilities, restaurants and surrounding grounds make it remarkably easy to settle into the slower pace of resort life.

One of my favourite discoveries was the Lake House, sitting beside the water and surrounded by greenery. Used for weddings, private celebrations and events, it felt like its own little corner of the estate.

The lake itself is inhabited by turtles, which proved to be another unexpected discovery while exploring the grounds. By our final morning, surrounded by the stillness of the estate, I took an early morning swim in the lake alongside its resident turtles. It was one of those places I knew I would remember long after leaving.

A few days simply didn’t feel sufficient to experience everything.

Beyond Quinta da Marinha

Cascais isn’t somewhere that requires you to stay within the confines of a resort, either.

We explored the town, travelled along the coastline and beaches, and stopped for lunch in one of its popular nightlife areas. By daylight, I could already imagine the streets transformed after dark.

There is an ease to Cascais that I found myself drawn to. The beaches, ocean, restaurants, history and nightlife all exist within relatively easy reach of one another, while Lisbon is only around 30 kilometres away.

Our visit also coincided with one of the highlights of Cascais’ summer calendar, Ageas Cooljazz, which ran throughout July.

The 2026 line up included Gilberto Gil, David Byrne, Loyle Carner, Jamiroquai, Diana Krall, Franz Ferdinand and Chet Faker, among others.

But we were there for one band in particular. The Scissor Sisters. As one of my favourite bands, seeing them beneath the Portuguese night sky as part of The Kiki Continues tour was a fairly spectacular way to bring the trip to an end.

From sailing the Atlantic and seeing my first dolphin in the wild to dancing to Scissor Sisters under a Portuguese summer sky, I will carry a lifetime of memories from Cascais, all made in the space of only a few days.

The Place I Wasn’t Ready to Leave

Luxury can be found in beautiful hotels, incredible food, spas, pools and spectacular surroundings, and Cascais certainly offered all of those things. But what stayed with me most was how the place made me feel. There was a warmth and a kinship I experienced throughout the trip.

I felt it in the hotel staff who had left and found themselves drawn back. In our hosts’ pride when telling us about the history of their town. In evenings eating seafood beside the Atlantic. In the unexpected wildlife, vibrant nightlife and music under a Portuguese summer sky.

There was also something personally significant about experiencing it when I did. I had arrived in Portugal at the beginning of a new chapter in my own life and left having experienced a series of firsts I hadn’t expected.

On my first trip to Portugal, Cascais gave me a series of firsts. The only thing I knew for certain as I left was that I didn’t want it to be my last.