Forte da Cruz (Palácio Barros), Estoril

A couple of kilometers from the center of Cascais is another Atlantic resort - Estoril. The cities are connected by a boardwalk, along which there are several beaches. The Lisbon-Cascais railway runs along the boardwalk.

Between Estoril train station and the ocean, there is a beautiful building that resembles an ancient castle. It was originally a small fortress called Fort da Cruz. The fort was part of a line of fortifications built in the seventeenth century to protect the mouth of the Tagus River. By the middle of the 19th century, the fort lost its strategic importance, fell into disrepair and in 1892 was sold into private hands.

The old fort was purchased by the great industrialist João Martins de Barros, owner of copper mines in Brazil and Spain. The new owner invited the famous Italian architect Cesar Ianz, who transformed the dilapidated fortification into a luxury villa Palácio Barros, to rebuild it. Now this building is a symbol of Estoril. Next to the villa is the popular Tamariz beach, protected from the ocean waves by a small jetty, and there is also a yacht parking lot.

From the villa, an extensive park leads inland, at the top of which is the world-famous Estoril Casino.