The best things to do in Cascais in November

Spring, summer, autumn… and now it’s winter’s turn – Maria Guedes never misses a season. Four times a year, you’ll find her (and her favourite fashion, décor and lifestyle brands – over 100, most of them Portuguese) at FIARTIL. There’s always plenty of music, food and good vibes too. The next edition takes place on November 22 and 23, packed with Christmas inspiration and festive finds.

Teatro Experimental de Cascais (TEC) was founded on November 13 1965, and its story is inseparable from that of director Carlos Avillez, one of its founders and long-time leaders, who passed away in 2023 from cardiac arrest. Now, a year after the premiere of the last play he envisioned and the release of a book honouring his legacy, the company he devoted his life to celebrates six decades on stage. The celebrations kick off on November 13 with a new production – The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare – and an exhibition dedicated to Filipe La Féria. Before that, on 8 November, the Espaço Memória TEC, also at Teatro Mirita Casimiro, opens at 17.00 with the inauguration of the same exhibition. Running until January 31 2026, it can be visited on weekends from 15.00 to 19.00.

Until November 15, the S. Domingos de Rana Municipal Library hosts Retratos Bordados, a collective exhibition by the grandmothers of the A Avó Veio Trabalhar project. The show celebrates active ageing through embroidery – here turned into an expression of memory, identity and intergenerational connection. Free entry.

The Cascais Xmas Village returns to Parque Marechal Carmona with a bigger area, new attractions and a visit from Father Christmas, turning the park into the epicentre of festive cheer. With covered areas, food stalls, baby-changing facilities and accessible routes, it offers outdoor fun for the whole family. Tickets range from €12 to €14, with family packs starting at €48, and free entry for children under two. Easily reachable by car or train – just don’t forget to wrap up warm.

The Museu do Mar – Rei D. Carlos celebrates National Sea Day with a guided tour, Behind the Scenes of the Ocean – The Collections of the Museu do Mar Rei D. Carlos. Participants will get a close look at birds, fish and sea lions, while uncovering the secrets of marine conservation. Free entry, but registration is required and places are limited.

Indie, not a bookshop is much more than a bookstore specialising in signed editions and English-language titles: it offers a packed programme ranging from silent parties to writing retreats. Until the end of the year, once a month, you can join a book embroidery workshop with artist and teacher Mafalda Castela, who will show how to personalise books by stitching designs onto their covers. Participants, who must register in advance and pay €20, can bring their own books or use the covers provided by the shop. The workshops take place at Indie’s “older sister,” Déjà Lu – the second-hand bookshop right next door.

Organised by the Fundação D. Luís I with the support of the municipality, this exhibition presents an unprecedented selection from the Américo Marques Contemporary Art Collection, bringing together around thirty works by more than 20 Portuguese artists or those closely connected to the country. Featured names include Julião Sarmento, Lourdes Castro, Pedro Cabrita Reis, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, João Louro, Susana Mendes Silva, Pedro Calapez, Michael Biberstein, Ângelo de Sousa, and Fernando Calhau. Curated by Sérgio Fazenda Rodrigues, A Deslocação do Olhar highlights clusters of painting and video to encourage reflection on the gaze and its relationship with the image.