In November 2024, I left the Finnish winter behind and embarked on a remote work adventure in Portugal — a dream I’ve been planning for years. In this blog post I am going to list my favourite places and experiences. I also share links where you can find more information about these things. This is not a paid ad, I paid the trip myself and these are my own honest selections for favourites.

1. Biking along the coast line in Cascais

Coastline, walking pavement and biking line.

Cascais offers very relaxing and convenient biking routes. Imagine yourself biking along the coast, hearing the waves hitting the shore cliffs, seeing sea birds floating, fishermen standing on the rocks. On the distance you see the mountains, but under your wheels there is a smooth and safe biking route. I drove 10 km along the coast line and the biking line didn’t end there, so this destination suites even for beginners.

I don’t recommend biking in Cascais city center, because there you can’t easily find biking routes and pavements are filled with tourist groups taking photos. I was happy to rent an electric bike from a service provider who delivered the bike to the park that was near of the spot where the biking lanes start. And then they told that I can either return to the same place or ride the bike to my place of accommodation, where they’d pick the pike up. So service was nice! More information about bike renting: Bike & Ride

2. Watching sunset at Boca Do Inferno in Cascais

Rocky cliffs and waves hitting them in a sunset light.

Wanna experience a romantic sunset? Or just admire nature. Boca do Inferno is a breathtakingly beautiful spot heading west. You will see how the sun sets to ocean and colors surrounding cliffs with orange colour. This place is just 2 km walk from Cascais city center. No entrance fee, so enjoy as many times as you want! I didn’t find any official site for this place, but here is one page offering basic information.

3. Photowalk in Lisbon: small alleys, street life and colourful tiles

Old tram moving up on a steep hill on a narrow street full of houses. Collage of beautiful ceramic tiles used in the houses of Lisbon.

In Lisbon just grab your phone or camera and start walking through the colourful streets. I started my walk near Bica Funicular (yellow lift in the image above). Stop by local cafes and try local pastry called pastel de nata.

If you wanna get photos taken of you in Lisbon, hire a professional photographer to join you on Photowalk. I recommend Tatiana Ostorowers services for capturing unique memories.

4. Free outdoor gyms of Cascais

Sunny day at the outdoor gym.

I love training outdoors! An so do people in Cascais. City of Cascais offers free training facilities around the city. I spotted two of these outdoor gyms. The park in the picture is called Outeiro da Vela Urban Park. What makes it fun that next to gym there is a small playground for kids and local dog owners visit this park with their dogs. Dogs are often exploring the park without their leash, so if you are afraid of dogs, maybe this place is not ideal for you. But all the dogs that I met there were behaving very well and I loved watching them while training.

Another free outdoor gym I spotted while I was biking along the seaside. So Outdoor Fitness Park Guia offers amazing views to the sea. This place doesn’t include a dog park, so if you’d rather train without pets or kids running around, this might be the right spot for you.

5. Village of Sintra & park of Quinta da Regaleira

Gray old houselike gate to a green park. Old big tree growing there.

Mountain village of Sintra is located about 20 minute car ride from Cascais, From Lisbon you can get to Sintra by train. From the trainstation you can get a local bus that drives a circle route from palace to palace. Or if you are ok with walking you can walk to Quinta da Regaleira in about 40 minutes, but the road includes deep stairs, so make sure you have enough time if walking. Taxis are not allowed to ride you to these palaces, because routes are narrow and they are allowed only for local inhabitants and that official local bus to drive.

I highly recommend you to visit the park of Quinta da Regaleira. Regaleira Palace itself isn’t that interesting from interiors, but the huge gothic park with detailed gray towers, caves and mysterious stairs is full of places to discover. Majestic mountains and jungle like forests surround this place so it feels like waling through “tale as old as time”. Check more information and ticket prices from Palace’s website.

6. Waves of Estoril

Surfer surfing on the wave.

When tired of hectic atmosphere of Lisbon and walking all the stairs, take a 40 minutes train trip from Lisbon’s Cais do Sodre train station to Estoril. You can travel in this train with the same local transportation ticket that you use in Lisbon. Or if you are located in Cascais, it is just a 4 minute train trip to Estoril.

In Estoril you can sit on a bench watching surfers catching the waves. Or if you have your swimming suite with you, there is a “natural pool” -area and outdoor showers available.

7. Luna House in Cascais: Ideal place to stay for a remote worker

Small garden with a pool and chairs.

If you are searching for a cozy and friendly place to stay and remote work I highly recommend Luna House in Cascais. With very affordable price you get an accommodation, breakfast and right to use all the coworking facilities. I personally selected to work from the outdoor terrace, but there are very good indoor facilities as well. In Luna House there are also available daily yoga lessons. Luna House is run by Ukrainian women, which at least for me is one strong reason to support this place!

8. Where to eat in Lisbon & Cascais? Here are some of my recommendations.

Mexican food: tacos and tortillas served with lime, sauces and ice tea.

At lunch time in Lisbon I recommend you to make a trip to LX Factory. It is rustic old Factory milieu that combines artistic shops with restaurants, coffee shops and bars. So it offers food for stomach but also for eyes!

In the evening I recommend you to try TimeOut Market Lisboa. Why? It is like a huge indoor market offering all the possible local treats. It is especially great place if you are travelling with other people, because each of you can order food from any of the vendors and you can still share the same table, So you can basically taste portions from different restaurants in a one place. How great is that?

I visited this place quite late at night (around 10 pm) during the weekend and party was going on! People where dancing between tables as a live band was playing cover pop songs in the middle of the hall. People from all the age groups gathered here to share a dinner. So be prepared to sit to just any table where you can find a place for yourself!

In Cascais my absolutely favourite place to start an evening out is Malacopa Taco Bar. This restaurant is located on an alley filled with restaurant tables of several popular restaurants. So book a table from outside if you wanna be sure to get a table for the evening! My favourite dish here was Chilorio Duck Supes (thick torilla with cooked duck and sour cream).

9. Capo da Roca: most westerly point of mainland Europe

Capo da Roca. lighthouse on the most western point of mainland

Capo da Roca locates about 20 minutes car drive from Cascais. It is easily reachable by using Bolt. This place is very touristic so prepare to wait for your turn to get the perfect selfie. I was lucky to visit this place on a rainy day on offseason. There is not much to do in this place. It is a windy cliff with a small lighthouse and there are couple of spots to stand on to get those photos of the visit. And then you can tell your friends that you have been to the mos westerly point of the mainland Europe. No entrance fee.

10. Viewing evening lights from Miradoure de Graca, Lisbon

Nighttime picture from a viepoint. Big castle locating on the top of the hill on the left side of the view, citylights down in the valley on the right side of the view.

Miradoure de Grace is a viewpoint over Lisbon. You can get a view over the city and to the sea . You get there with tram number 28 (yes, that most touristic one, beware of pickpockets!) Also be aware that travelling with tram might take some time. When I took it, there was an ambulance stopped in one of the narrow streets and we waited for about 30 minutes to get through. So patience is needed and wouldn’t recommend to step to the tram if you need to get to the toilet soon 🙂

This viewpoint is beatifully located behind a church and surrounded by pine trees. There is no entrance fee, but if you wanna spend some time and money, you can sit at the cafe bar there.

From breathtaking views to unforgettable experiences, my journey in Portugal was more than just a change of scenery; it was a reminder of what’s possible when you follow your dreams. Whether you’re dreaming of your own escape or curious about life abroad, I hope you will get inspired you to take that first step.

Where should I try to remote work next?