Guide to Route 39: from Cascais to Alto de Bicesse, among markets, museums and shopping

With only a few departures on weekdays, Route 39 connects the Cascais Terminal with Alto de Bicesse and provides access to a combination of heritage, gastronomy, culture and shopping in the municipality.

The route begins near the center of Cascais and continues through residential areas such as Pai do Vento and Alcabideche, passing by Cascais Hospital, Alcabideche Secondary School and the Alcoitão Rehabilitation Center. It is a journey that quickly leaves behind the village’s tourist atmosphere and enters a more everyday landscape, characterized by services, public facilities and local businesses.

From Alcoitão, the route heads toward Bicesse along roads such as Estrada de Manique, Rua Almada Negreiros, Rua da Paiã and Estrada Ribeira. The destination, in Alto de Bicesse, brings passengers closer to a quiet, predominantly residential area, while the Alcabideche section concentrates some of the best opportunities for shopping and leisure outside the historic center.

Notice: the distances indicated are approximate estimates based on the route coordinates and the stops provided, and may vary according to the exact drop-off point and the pedestrian route. According to the data provided, the route has two departures in the Cascais–Alto de Bicesse direction and one in the opposite direction on weekdays; no departures are listed for Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays.

Location	Category	Nearest stop/section	Approximate distance
Mercado da Vila	Market and gastronomy	Cascais - Terminal	0,3 km
Casa das Histórias Paula Rego	Museum and culture	Cascais - Terminal	1,1 km
Marechal Carmona Park and Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum	Park and heritage	Cascais - Terminal	1,2 km
King D. Carlos Sea Museum	Museum	Cascais - Terminal	1,3 km
Boca do Inferno	Natural attraction and leisure	Cascais - Terminal	2,2 km
American-Type Armation Windmill	Museum and industrial heritage	Alcabideche	0,5 km
CascaiShopping	Shopping center and entertainment	Alcoitão or Rotunda - Estrada de Manique	0,8 km

Mercado da Vila

Mercado da Vila is one of the best options for starting an outing from Cascais Terminal. Housed in a historic local market building, the space combines fresh-produce stalls with restaurants, shops, cafés, terraces and a program of themed markets.

It is an especially interesting destination for those looking for a place to eat, try Portuguese products or watch the village’s activity. The calendar includes the Saloio Market, the organic-produce market and other initiatives that turn the venue into a meeting point for residents, producers and visitors.

📍 Location: Rua Padre Moisés da Silva, 29, Cascais.
🚏 Nearest route stop/section and approximate distance: Cascais - Terminal, about 0,3 km away.
🏷️ Category: Market, food and retail.
⭐ Distinguishing feature: brings traditional commerce, gastronomy and events together in one space.

Casa das Histórias Paula Rego

For those getting off at Cascais Terminal and looking for a cultural activity, Casa das Histórias Paula Rego is one of the most notable stops in the central area. The building, designed by Eduardo Souto de Moura, stands out for its two pyramid-shaped structures and red-pigmented concrete, in an architectural design that engages with elements of local tradition.

The museum presents Paula Rego’s work in permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well as offering a shop, a café with terrace, a garden and an auditorium. In 2026, the program includes the exhibition “Paula Rego: Exemplary Girls,” dedicated to recurring themes in the artist’s work and scheduled to remain on display until January 31, 2027.

📍 Location: Avenida Papa Francisco, 300, Cascais.
🚏 Nearest route stop/section and approximate distance: Cascais - Terminal, about 1,1 km away.
🏷️ Category: Art museum and cultural space.
⭐ Distinguishing feature: combines award-winning architecture with one of the leading collections dedicated to the Portuguese artist.

Marechal Carmona Park and Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum

Marechal Carmona Park offers an immediate change of pace: lawns, large trees, lakes, landscaped paths, a playground and picnic areas make it one of the most pleasant green spaces in Cascais. The park was created by combining the former gardens of the Palace of the Counts of Castro Guimarães with the Viscount of Gandarinha’s estate.

Inside the park is the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum, housed in the former São Sebastião Tower. The building, constructed between 1897 and 1900, holds artistic, bibliographic and historical collections, while also providing one of the village’s most photogenic settings. It is a combination that works equally well for a family outing or a visit focused on architecture and local history.

📍 Location: Avenida Rei Humberto II de Itália, Cascais.
🚏 Nearest route stop/section and approximate distance: Cascais - Terminal, about 1,2 km away.
🏷️ Category: Urban park, museum and historical heritage.
⭐ Distinguishing feature: brings together romantic gardens, leisure facilities and a former tower transformed into a museum.

King D. Carlos Sea Museum

The King D. Carlos Sea Museum is a good choice for understanding the relationship between Cascais and the Atlantic. The exhibitions cover marine biodiversity, underwater archaeology, shipwrecks, navigation and the memories of the village’s fishing community.

Highlights include marine fossils, shells, vessel models, fishing-related objects and items recovered from shipwrecks in the Cascais channel. The visit helps visitors see the village beyond its beaches and terraces, revealing the historical, scientific and economic importance of the sea in shaping the local identity.

📍 Location: Rua Júlio Pereira de Mello, Cascais.
🚏 Nearest route stop/section and approximate distance: Cascais - Terminal, about 1,3 km away.
🏷️ Category: Natural history, archaeology and ethnography museum.
⭐ Distinguishing feature: presents the area through its connections to the ocean, fishing and navigation.

Boca do Inferno

Boca do Inferno is the most nature-oriented outing among the suggestions near the beginning of Route 39. The rock formation, shaped by the force of the Atlantic, creates a dramatic opening in the cliff where waves crash in with a roar, especially on days when the sea is rougher.

The site has viewpoints and a pedestrian connection to the center of Cascais, making it suitable for watching the sunset, photographing the coast and walking alongside the ocean. The visit can be combined with a stop at Marechal Carmona Park or the Sea Museum, creating a half-day itinerary from the terminal.

📍 Location: Avenida Rei Humberto II de Itália, Cascais.
🚏 Nearest route stop/section and approximate distance: Cascais - Terminal, about 2,2 km away.
🏷️ Category: Natural attraction, viewpoint and outdoor leisure.
⭐ Distinguishing feature: combines cliffs, open sea and one of Cascais’s best-known coastal settings.

American-Type Armation Windmill

In Alcabideche, the American-Type Armation Windmill preserves a little-known part of the municipality’s economic and technological history. The structure is connected to Cascais’s milling tradition and received its name from the metal system installed on the roof, inspired by models developed in the United States.

The windmill was restored and converted into a museum to explain the evolution of milling processes and the importance of cereals in the lives of local communities. Regular visits depend on opening hours and, in some cases, advance booking, so it is advisable to confirm the arrangements before setting out. The “Alcabideche” stop is the most convenient reference point for reaching the site.

📍 Location: Praceta do Moinho, Alcabideche.
🚏 Nearest route stop/section and approximate distance: Alcabideche, about 0,5 km away.
🏷️ Category: Museum and industrial heritage.
⭐ Distinguishing feature: showcases a rare type of windmill and the municipality’s milling tradition.

CascaiShopping

CascaiShopping is the main shopping hub associated with the Alcabideche and Alcoitão section. Located on Estrada Nacional 9, the center brings together dozens of shops, restaurants and services, providing an alternative for shopping, dining and entertainment without needing to return to central Cascais.

The route passes relatively close to the shopping center area between Alcoitão and Estrada de Manique. Since the final approach may require walking along the surrounding roads, it is worth checking the best drop-off point locally and planning the return journey, especially because Route 39 offers very limited service and operates only on weekdays.

📍 Location: Estrada Nacional 9, 2645-543 Alcabideche.
🚏 Nearest route stop/section and approximate distance: section between Alcoitão and Rotunda - Estrada de Manique, about 0,8 km away.
🏷️ Category: Shopping center, shopping, food and leisure.
⭐ Distinguishing feature: concentrates a wide range of retail and dining options in an area served by the Alcabideche corridor.

Route 39 works best as an occasional connection: it allows passengers to leave Cascais Terminal to explore the village’s cultural and gastronomic center, or to get off in Alcabideche to visit the historic windmill and approach CascaiShopping. Since there are only two outbound departures and one return departure on weekdays, it is best to check the schedule in advance, start the outing early and organize the return before setting out.

Guide to Route 39: from Cascais to Alto de Bicesse, among markets, museums and shopping