The best things to do in Cascais in May

Since moving to Cascais, Brazilian influencer Daniela Salles, originally from Rio de Janeiro and a marketing expert, has been sharing tips and moments from her daily life on social media, creating the Oi Cascais page, which now has over 50,000 followers. This month, she’s organizing a mega event dedicated to children, with a special focus on mothers. The event will take place at FIARTIL, in Estoril, on  May 10th and 11th.

Oi Cascais Kids is aimed at kids of all ages, from newborns to 14-year-olds, with “segmented activities” for each age group, offering “lots of entertainment and fun.” Expect bouncy castles, games, a carousel, go-karts, theatrical performances, and children’s concerts. Mums will have access to workshops and talks focused on motherhood. There will also be a market. In total, over 90 stands of various sizes will be selling products or organizing activities. Kids get in for free.

The second edition of Coala, the Brazilian festival that has now come to Cascais, takes place on May 31st and June 1st at the Hipódromo Manuel Possolo. The lineup features names from the Lusophone music scene, including Ney Matogrosso, Liniker, António Zambujo, Criolo, Djodje, BK, Xande Pilares, Ana Lua Caiano, Lena d’Água, Pedro da Linha, and Fidju Kitxora, among many others.

They’ve been extinct for millions of years, but few creatures spark as much curiosity as dinosaurs. For fans of these Jurassic reptiles, the Dino On the Road exhibition is set up at Parque Marechal Carmona and Quinta da Alagoa, featuring fifteen life-sized models – that’s right, giants. Until 25 May, they’ll take over Parque Marechal Carmona. Then, from May 28th to June 26th, Quinta da Alagoa in Carcavelos will transform into a Jurassic Park. Educational, fun, and free, the exhibition is for all ages.

It’s one of the major cultural events happening in the Cascais area this May. From May 9th to 11th, the Sociedade Musical União Paredense (SMUP) in Parede will host Sacode Poeira, a weekend of “gathering, music, and socialising” featuring artists from the PALOP (Portuguese-speaking African countries). Expect concerts from musicians like Silvino Branca, Pedrinha Xalé, Jorge Rosa & Kambanda, Maria Alice, Mindelo, Ninho Anguené and friends, Djonsaba Kanouté, and Bulauê Relikia.

There will also be a conversation with Chalo Correia, Alcides Nascimento, and Ana José Charrua, moderated by Nael Nascimento; and a screening of the iconic French film La Haine. Sacode Poeira will also include the launch of a fanzine, plenty of socialising with food and drinks, and a cassette release featuring music from the scheduled artists, recorded at Namouche Studios in Lisbon, especially for the event. Tickets are available for €5 – SMUP members pay just €4.

If you’re looking to do something different for Mother’s Day, whether to celebrate with your own mum or with your children, this could be a surprising option. Quinta do Pisão, located in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, is organizing an equestrian experience for two. Mums and kids can interact with the resident horses, groom them, and feed them. At the end, they’ll mount the horses and take a short ride around the garden. The experience costs €25 for each pair, and registration should be made via atividadesnatureza@cascaisambiente.pt.

The weather forecast for the first weekend of May may not be spectacular, but the view from the Intercontinental Cascais-Estoril never disappoints – and any mum will enjoy a lunch with a view of the ocean. On Sunday, May 4th, the Bago du Vin restaurant invites you to gather the family around the table and even takes care of the gift – a box of chocolate and raspberry macarons (€15).

Parque Marechal Carmona will once again transform into a dancefloor for the return of the electronic music festival OUT///FEST. On May 17th, for 10 hours, DJs like HRAACH, Frida Darko, and Mula will take you on a journey through different subgenres and atmospheres of electronic music. Tickets cost €26.75.

Spring, summer, autumn, winter: there's no season that Maria Guedes misses. Four times a year, you can find her (and her favourite clothing, decoration and lifestyle brands, more than 100 of which are almost all Portuguese) at FIARTIL. What's also never lacking is entertainment, food and drink.

The seventh edition of the Festa dos Maios at Quinta do Pisão is coming up. Inspired by the ancestral traditions of Cascais, the program includes nature walks, workshops, demonstrations, theatre performances, live music, dances, traditional games, and tractor and cart rides, as well as a local market. It will take place on the weekends of May 24th - 25th and May 31st - June 1st.

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the original formation of the Gipsy Kings — the flamenco rumba group formed in France — founding member Diego Baliardo is leading an international tour that will stop at Casino Estoril on May 28th. Tickets are available for between €40 and €80, and you can expect hits like “Volare,” “Bamboleo,” and “Djobi Djoba.”

The Cascais Foodlab agenda is non-stop, and in May, there’s plenty to learn with your apron on and wooden spoon in hand. On the morning of May 10th, Isabel Zibaia Rafael will teach how to make sourdough bread; the late afternoon of May 19th will be dedicated to tea; on May 24th, it's time for sweet tooths with a workshop on traditional Portuguese desserts, led by chef Gilberto Costa. May 26th is designed for those who want to master the art of food plating, with a masterclass led by chef Rui Mota, and on May 31st, the focus will be on cooking with game meat. 

After a break, the Garden Sale returned to Jardim da Parada in Cascais in April. In May, it will take place on May 3rd, as it will be held every first Saturday of the month until the end of 2025, weather permitting, except for August. Additionally, it will be held on the third Saturday of June, July, and September at Parque Quinta da Alagoa in Carcavelos. This is a second-hand sale market aimed at promoting sustainability and the circular economy, where anyone can sell their items (although registration is required).

After showcasing the work of Nicholas Nixon, Ruth Orkin and Michael Grecco, the Centro Cultural de Cascais now presents the photography of American artist Rodney Smith. Known for his cleverly composed and aesthetically striking images, often set in surreal scenarios, Smith’s work blurs the line between the whimsical and the meticulously staged. The exhibition features over a hundred photographs, ranging from portraits to landscapes, and is on view until May 25th.

On show from May 3rd to July 11th, the Centro Cultural de Cascais brings together three generations of artists from the same family in the exhibition Areal (3) Nada com sem propósito. It features works by António Areal, Sofia Areal and Martim Brion — father, daughter and grandson — spanning painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, writing, ceramics and textiles. It’s a fascinating exploration of colour, line and theme through creative processes and lived experiences that span decades.

Until October 19th, you can visit an exhibition that tells the story of how the Estoril we know today was brought to life. “The Invention of Estoril”, on show at the Cascais Municipal Historical Archive – Casa Sommer, is based on a collection of over two thousand glass plate negatives from the Palácio Estoril Hotel. These images have undergone restoration, cataloguing and digitisation, and are now being publicly exhibited for the first time.

Although most of the negatives have lost part of their emulsion, the central areas of the images remain intact, offering a fascinating glimpse into life between 1914 and 1955.

Through these photographs, visitors can trace the transformation of a pine-covered landscape into Portugal’s most glamorous holiday destination of the time — a luxury development bringing together residences, the casino, shopping galleries with iconic arcades, gardens, thermal baths, the train station, and, of course, the Palácio Estoril Hotel, said to have hosted spies, royals, and aristocrats from across the globe.

For those keen to learn even more about the Costa do Sol, the book Palácio no Estoril: O Hotel Inspirador by Paula Bobone, published by Cascais City Council, has just been released.

Avenida da República, 132, Cascais.
Mon–Fri 09.00–13.00, 14.00–17.00; Sat & Sun 10.00–13.00, 14.00–18.00

+ The best museums in Cascais

+ As melhores coisas para fazer em Cascais no Outono