Cascais Trip with DBF Events
Cascais is a destination that Autograph Events love to use for conferences and incentives due to its proximity to Lisbon, great weather, and diverse range of hotels, venues, and activities. Event Operations Manager, Jess Docherty was therefore delighted to have the opportunity to be part of the DBF Events ‘All about People’ familiarisation and networking trip to see for herself what the destination can offer.
The coastal town of Cascais is just 19 miles west of the Portuguese capital easily accessed via a direct flight into Lisbon and a 40-minute transfer. Historically, the town played host to Portuguese nobility on their summer retreat, where today it boasts fascinating museums, lively bars and restaurants and beach set around it’s cobbled streets and marina.
Less than 10 minutes drive from the town centre sits Onyria Quinta da Marinha Hotel, which hosted the group for the weekend. Having gone through renovations in 2020 it has taken inspiration from nature with friendly staff to ensure you have a 5-star experience. With 198 bedrooms, 11 meeting rooms, 2 restaurants, spa and 18-hole golf course it is a great venue for any event. Sitting within the Onyria resort, you can also take advantage of the other properties which are onsite and all accessible on foot, including:
The Lake House which is hidden amongst the trees on the golf course. It provides a venue perfect for celebrations, dinners and conferences. This versatile space was transformed for our welcome dinner filled with great food and entertainment including tango dancers, tap dancers, DJ and silent disco.
Continuing walking through the golf course and you will soon come across the second hotel on the property, Onyria Marinha Boutique Hotel. Another 5 star property boasts 68 bedrooms, 4 suites and 12 deluxe villas in addition to 9 meeting rooms, spa and restaurant.
Saturday night saw the group visit The Oitavos, sat within the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park this hotel embraces informal luxury with views out to the Atlantic Ocean the hotels décor compliments its surroundings. With pre-dinner drinks on the terrace we were treated to entertainment from some local tourism students sharing local folk songs before processing the guests to dinner hosted in the Club House. With Executive Chef Cyril Devilliers having trained under France’s esteemed three-Michelin-star Michel Guérard the food was a feast for the senses. This hotel is perfect for vehicle and product launches, as the ground floor space is completely versatile and can be opened fully to host large events.
Sunday marked the last day of the trip but it was still jam-packed before our evening flight home. The group were transported through the Sintra National Park via Jeeps to the town of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a famous skyline dominated by the towering Royal Palace Pastel coloured buildings and cobbled streets are nestled in the treelined mountain, with the town offering boutiques, bustling cafes and historical palaces and villas to explore. The area is therefore perfect for both team building activities as well as stunning gala dinners in the Palace.
With the trip almost concluded our penultimate stop was a visit to the most western vineyard in Europe, Casal Sta Maria where a micro-climate is created from the natural barrier of the Sintra Mountains and the Atlantic coastline. Once the wines had been tasted our final venue for the weekend was O Forte- Guincho Secret Spot, a rehabilitated restored? fort from 1762, which is now a new venue for corporate events. It is set on the top of the cliff offering dramatic views out to sea. It is the perfect spot for a relaxed lunch or a formal dinner with floor to ceiling windows to guarantee an uninterrupted view.
Cascais has so much to offer for all your event and incentive needs. This coast town resort is bustling with venues and activities whether you want to get back to nature, explore the regions history or pop into the cosmopolitan capital of Lisbon. We only got to see a few venues on this trip but there are plenty more hotels and venues that we know of in the area and have used previously so if you need anymore information or are thinking of Cascais as a potential destination for your next event do give us a call.
