With
the crested Atlantic crashing against the sandy walls of this statley Moorish
fort, this grand and unique hotel looks more like a postcard from Essaoiria
than Lisbon. Standing boldly above Guincho Beach’s golden headland (5 minutes
drive north of Cascais town-centre), where surfers head for some of the best
waves in Europe, the isolated spot is a raw stretch of sunset-yellow sand,
topped with nothing more than a few simple seafood shacks. At the southern
headland of the beach you’ll see the spectacular Fortaleza do Guincho, which once
stood as a 17^th Century fortress, guarding the mouth of Lisbon’s
estuary. Now it’s a home for well-trodden lovers looking for grand and historic
isolation on the outskirts of Lisbon. The 27 rooms are appropriately regal with
silk cushions, high thread-count sheets and alcove balconies onto the ocean. If
you open your windows, you can hear the majestic chorus of the crashing
Atlantic 24 hours a day. The only snag, for some, is the isolation. But for
others, that’s the main attraction.