The Studio in Cascais was absolutely perfect for us. We were visiting for a week and were very fortunate to have stayed at Claudio's place.
Claudio is hospitable and generous. He picked us up at the train station (we were expecting to take a cab) and gave us a tour of Cascais on the way to the studio.
The studio is very comfortable for two people with a small but functional kitchen and a lovely sun lit terrace that faces the sea. Every morning we had coffee and breakfast on the terrace with the windows open to feel the fresh air. I really couldn't believe how beautiful and quiet it was.
We saved a lot of money by going to the grocery store just a few steps from the apartment and preparing most of our meals in the studio. The downtown area is about a 15 minute walk, which we were happy to make to get the exercise. The few times we splurged and went out to eat, the seafood and fresh fish were absolutely amazing in Cascais!
There are two fully stocked grocery stores within 5 minutes of the apartment and are open until 9pm.
The apartment building has an outdoor pool on the top floor It was too chilly in October to swim, but provided a relaxing spot in the afternoon.
Some things to note: the water heater is small (standard for Europe) so there is hot water for about 7 - 10 minute shower and then it takes a little while to refill. We learned this the hard way and thereafter planned ahead. I was surprised and happy to find there was a hair dryer as I forgot to bring one. There is a clothes washer in the bathroom that is great for washing clothes, but does not have a heated dry program, so you have to plan ahead to let your clothes dry. There is a clothes rack and the terrace provides enough sun that a whole load of laundry dried in about 6 hours.
The kitchen is well equipped for the most basic food preparations: A two-burner hot plate, a microwave , sink and a small fridge. There is even a stovetop espresso maker and a drip coffee pot. We really loved the tea set for afternoon tea.
There is no oven, which didn't bother us but we did not try to make frozen pizza!
I loved how the closet, shelves and drawers were built into the wall, like on a boat. The whole studio felt open and clean, a nice place to relax and feel at peace.
If we return to Cascais, we will definitely stay at Claudio's place!