The town of Cascais has been one of the most important harbours between Europe and the mighty Atlantic Ocean, as a haven that attracted Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths and Arabs alike. During the Age of Discoveries, Cascais was the port from where caravels departed to Africa, Brazil, India and China. Here European royalty came into exile after World War I, and during WWII Cascais became a center for diplomacy and espionage. Ian Fleming, who lived here as an undercover British agent, felt inspired by Cascais and wrote Casino Royal, introducing to the world the most famous spy of all time: James Bond. Pass the paredão beach promenade and see the two romanticist chalets of Faial and the dukes of Palmela, Discover the City Hall and the Statue of King Pedro I, where you will be awed by his true Shakespearean tragic love story with Inês de Castro. Learn all about Praia dos Pescadores where Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus landed first on their return journey, making Cascais the first town to learn of the existence of a new world. See the 15th-century Our Lady of Assumption Church. Cross the 1940s gardens of Parque Marechal Carmona, with its mini-zoo that includes peacocks that run free in the park. View the palace of the Counts of Castro Guimarães and the viewpoint towards the Santa Marta lighthouse. Follow us to get to know the most famous bay in Portugal like a local and get swept away by the charm of Cascais.