Despite once being the haunt of exiled royalty and nobility fleeing European
republicanism, the lovely resort town of Estoril does not rest on its historical
laurels. Today, it is a tourist and business resort, and a place for comfortable
retirement. As such, it relies equally on its historical reputation and on the
natural attractiveness it has always possessed. There are also a number of good
golf courses.

What separates Estoril from Cascais, besides a pleasant beach promenade of 3 km
(2 miles) and a mansion-covered ridge known as Monte Estoril, is its sense of
place. The heart of Estoril is immediately accessible from the train station. On
one side of the tracks, the riviera-like beach, on the other, a palmlined park
flanked by grand buildings, stretches up past fountains to what is said to be
Europe’s biggest casino. Dwarfing the casino is the Estoril Congress Centre, a
vast multipurpose edifice that speaks confidently of Estoril’s contemporary
role.