10 of the best hotels in Cascais
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£££ | Best for a central location
Overlooking the beach and right in the very heart of Cascais's cobbled centre, this converted 19th-century villa puts you within easy walking distance of all the sights. The decor is striking; contemporary with historic touches, from azulejo tiles to vintage wooden shoe forms. The 11 rooms are mono-tonal — either blue, green or grey — giving a sheltered, jewellery box feel. Corleone Ristorante al Mare is a beautiful Italian restaurant serving arancini, cacio e pepe, cannoli and Italian wines. Seats on the terrace have lovely views of the bay. There's no pool or spa, but you are steps from the sea, and the hotel has its own speedboat for hire.
£ | POOL | Best for stylish value
Cascais is small, so while this tranquil boutique hotel is set in a quiet residential street at the very edge of what could be considered the centre, it's still only a 15-minute walk into the heart of town. In return you'll get excellent value at this little oasis where spacious, contemporary rooms and suites, many with kitchenettes, are beautifully decorated and themed around Portugal's era of exploration. Large, leafy gardens shelter two swimming pools, an extensive buffet breakfast is served in the airy dining room and complimentary coffee and tea is on offer all day — with cake in the afternoons.
£££ | POOL | Best for creative flair
This 17-room boutique is hands-down the coolest hotel in Cascais. An elegant, 19th-century mansion with Rococo flamboyance has been paired with a modern extension housed within an intricate webbing of concrete, the façade itself an artwork by the Portuguese street artist Vhils. Rooms in the original mansion are sumptuous but neutral; the more avant-garde Artist Rooms in the wing sit within the concrete lattice which dapples the light and subdivides the view. The restaurant serves pretty plates focused on seasonal seafood and the rooftop terrace has a plunge pool and honesty bar. Right on the edge of the old centre and neighbouring the Cidadela Art District — all contemporary sculptures and murals — the hotel is also close to the beach.
££ | POOL | SPA | Best for art lovers
Formerly Cascais's 17th-century citadel, this beautifully-converted hotel sits in the heart of the town's art district, and has galleries and artists' workshops on site, and intriguing pieces scattered throughout the hotel — plus there's an art concierge on hand to direct you. The outdoor pool is in the fortress gardens, and there's an indoor option at the spa. Maris Stella restaurant has a terrace overlooking the marina, plus there's a more casual 'taberna' with small plates and wines by the glass. The 133 rooms and suites are soundproofed, with options overlooking the fortress, the sea and the marina.
££ | POOL | SPA | Best for family escapes
This hotel has strong family-friendly credentials. The marine-themed kids club is a standout for under 12s, with everything from a sensory room and ball pit to an interactive tech wall with multi-player games. The pine-shaded grounds have a playground and large free-form pool with a casual restaurant while the heated indoor pool in the spa has family hours. The bright, airy rooms are large — deluxe options with bunk beds and suites with sofa beds sleep four — and many also interconnect. With 72 rooms and 12 two-bedroom villas in the grounds, calling this hotel boutique may be a bit of a stretch, but it definitely has an intimate atmosphere. Wind-whipped Praia do Guincho is a ten-minute drive away; Cascais centre and its protected sands are ten minutes further.
• Best places to visit in Portugal• Read our full guide to Portugal
£££ | POOL | Best for old-school glamour
The noble families who accompanied the Portuguese royals on their summer jaunts to Cascais in the 19th century weren't daft. The main building of this hotel, originally the Duke of Loulé's villa, has an enviably central location on low cliffs overlooking the beach in the heart of town. Sipping wine on the terrace of the sea-view restaurant, reclining on the wooden loungers by the palm-fringed pool or zipping along the coast on the hotel's yacht, you'll start to feel aristocratic yourself. For historic grandeur, choose a room in the main villa or the elaborate Italianate palace behind it; in the modern annexe you'll find more extensive glazing and bigger balconies.
££ | Best for high-end dining
Twin cannons and giant wooden gates remind you that this hotel was formerly a fortress, but the primrose shade of the imposing exterior walls promise that things inside have softened since the 17th century. This is certainly true in the Michelin-starred restaurant, where tasting menus showcase the region's seafood. Sitting on a rugged headland between two beaches within the protected Sintra-Cascais natural park to the town's north-west, the hotel's clifftop location means most of the handsome rooms and suites, adorned with dark wood furniture, have sea views. There's no pool or spa, although the hotel has agreements allowing the use of nearby facilities. The centre of Cascais is a 20-minute drive away.
£££ | POOL | SPA | Best for wellness breaks
Converted from the palace of Umberto II, the last king of Italy who lived in exile in Cascais, this luxurious hotel brings Italian flair to the Portuguese seafront. The large spa, modelled after a Roman bath house, has a thalassotherapy circuit and a wide range of treatments, and the Belvedere restaurant serves classic Italian cuisine. The 124 well-upholstered rooms and suites overlook the sea or gardens, with the grandest in the original palace wing, and the large, cabana-fringed pool faces the ocean. It's a wonderful spot to unwind, but still a short walk from the marina and the old centre.
££ | POOL | SPA | Best for travelling with teens
A sprawling, terracotta-toned resort hotel set among the golf courses on Cascais's outskirts, this smart spot has the facilities to appeal to families with older children, including an arcade room for gaming, bikes to rent, and horse-riding and surfing lessons. For younger siblings, there's a playground and a kids' club during the summer holidays. Two-bedroom suites and three and four-bed residences come with kitchens and living rooms, and alongside the main restaurant serving classic Mediterranean dishes there's also a Japanese offering sushi and sashimi. There's a pool to loaf around, plus free shuttles into Cascais and to Guincho beach.
££ | POOL | Best for sea views
Perched on the rocky cliffs at the edge of town, near the Boca do Inferno rock arch, through which waves crash dramatically, the hotel is named after the neighbouring lighthouse — both have expansive ocean views. Combining a whitewashed historic villa with a smart glass extension, contemporary design dominates throughout, from the light-flooded restaurant and the clean-lined pool deck to the 33 rooms, most of which have sea views. It's a five-minute walk to the marina, 15 to the centre of town.
• Best holiday villas in Portugal• Porto v Lisbon: which is better?
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I've visited Portugal for 20 years — these are its best beachfront hotels
Portugal has always had at least one eye on the ocean — it's the prow of Europe, facing squarely into the Atlantic, and the sea has shaped everything from its history to its cuisine. It's also been a driver for tourism; Brits have flocked to the Algarve since the 1960s, drawn by the golden stretches of sand that characterise the sun-drenched south coast. The region is more diverse than many give it credit for. In the 20 years I've been visiting I've simply avoided the overdeveloped Albufeira and spent many happy holidays on the glorious barrier island beaches to the east and cliff-sheltered coves to the west. While the Algarve's shoreline is still the biggest crowd-pleaser — meaning most of my choices for the country's best beachfront hotels are found in this region — other coasts have begun to beguile tourists too, from the dune-backed beaches around Comporta to the surf-lashed sands north of Lisbon. Portugal also excels at urban beaches, with Porto's Foz do Douro suburb and Lisbon's coastal neighbour Cascais offering elegant, metropolitan versions of the seaside. There's a great variety of hotels near these beaches too. Eco-retreats, sleek boutiques and owner-managed passion projects with character, like Monte da Bemposta, where guests can go for beach rides on the farmstay's horses, are just as easy to find as large properties with multiple restaurants and sports facilities. Families are very well catered for, but more than a third of the hotels on my list are quieter spots more suited to grown-up guests. • Read our full guide to Portugal As you'll see from the prices, Portugal offers exceptional value for money, and not only when it comes to accommodation. You'll find Michelin stars in the dining mix, but more rustic food is similarly delicious. In Portimao, Maria do Mar pays homage to Portugal's historic maritime industry by serving only canned fish — the delicate and tasty dishes will convert sceptics — and in the thriving fishing ports of Olhao and Sesimbra you'll dine well and cheaply on freshly grilled sardines near the docks. My favourite spot for a seaside feast is Culatra Island, a sparsely populated sand-spit where oysters and clams are farmed, travelling mere metres before they're served. Pair your meal with a glass of Portugal's excellent and well-priced white wine — perhaps an arinto, often grown near the sea, or as the Portuguese say, 'where you can hear the crabs sing'. Do remember, because the Portuguese coast is on the Atlantic not the Mediterranean, water temperatures are fresh even in the middle of summer, and not all beaches will be suitable for swimming. The wild waves of the west coast in particular should be respected. This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue A ten-minute walk through fragrant pine forest brings guests at this warm and understated hotel to a long stretch of soft, blond sand lapped by shallow, safe-to-swim waters. If the Octant Praia Verde were in the central Algarve the beach would be heaving in summer, but here in the east it never feels too crowded. With simple but attractive contemporary interiors, the curving, steel-framed building is softened with wooden accents that mirror the sylvan setting. Families love the tree-lined saltwater pool, the suites with kitchenettes and sofa beds, the wood-fired pizzas in the restaurant and the complimentary summer activity programme for kids, featuring fun from biscuit-baking to pyjama parties. This year's extension takes the room count to 80 and has added a B&B doubles from £125 ( Fly to Faro • Read our full guide to the Algarve Neighbouring the Octant, this newcomer offers the same gorgeous beach but with extra bells and whistles. Luxe villas and apartments done out in tasteful, sun-bleached tones are scattered among pines, cork oaks and wind-blown dunes. Then there are two sleek pools, a kids' club, a sports centre with a football pitch, tennis and padel courts, yoga classes and spa treatments. The restaurant, bar and beach club share design DNA — lots of rattan and greenery. Borrow bikes to cycle the shorefront trails, rent water sports equipment on the beach, or let the concierge loose and explore the region in style with a scenic gyrocopter flight or a day charter of a B&B doubles from £297 ( Fly to Faro You won't find hotels built on the sandy barrier islands that stretch along the coast between Cacela Velha and Faro. This village-style property on the mainland close to pretty Tavira, converted from tuna fishermen's summertime quarters, is as close as it gets. There's a small lagoon beach in walking distance and a ferry transfer from its private pier will buzz you over to car-free Ilha da Tavira, where the sand stretches for seven miles. Houses, workshops and warehouses form the 161 cosy rooms, and the school is now the kids' club. A museum documents the fishing industry's history, but the main attraction is nature; within the Ria Formosa Natural Park, coastal walks and rich birdlife are on the B&B doubles from £90 ( Fly to Faro A wooden walkway leads from the hotel grounds right to the sands of Praia da Falesia. Backed by apricot-toned cliffs, this vast beach has retained an unspoilt feel despite sitting in the heart of a developed area. It stretches for five miles, and crowds thin out if you walk a few minutes beyond the main access points. The low-slung hotel buildings overlook an expansive, cabana-lined pool complex, and while the restaurants and lobby are quite trendily designed with oversize furniture, impressionistic murals and low-lighting, the 311 rooms are more calmly decorated. The spa is a highlight, and the hotel offers a series of retreats hosted by fitness B&B doubles from £150 ( Fly to Faro This sprawling and self-contained upmarket haven spreads across 178 acres of prime clifftop above Falesia beach, with one of its 15 restaurants and bars set right on the sand. With 684 rooms, suites and villas it's a veritable village. You'll find every facility you might think of — a kids' club with a pool, pirate ship and bouncy castle; a nine-hole golf course; the now de rigueur tennis and padel courts; a football academy; a spa and extensive gym — and plenty you probably haven't, from cookery lessons and a games arcade to an escape room and a treetop-high rope course, new this B&B doubles from £184 ( Fly to Faro Once you've checked in at this oasis-like ultra-luxury boutique in the tranquil resort of Gale you'll forget how close you are to Albufeira — it's a 15-minute drive away, but hidden behind the headland. The 13 large, individually decorated rooms and suites all have sea views, and some have private pools, hot tubs or their own area of garden. The palm-shaded, flower-fragranced grounds contain a heated pool and are front-on to the sandy, rock-framed cove, where the hotel's beach shack serves sushi on the shore. The main restaurant, all dainty plates, white tablecloths and ocean views, has retained two Michelin stars since 1999, and hotel guests have priority booking. There's a minimum stay of two B&B doubles from £893 ( Fly to Faro Early birds catch the worm, and this midsize hotel bagged one of the Algarve's best locations back in 1966, right above the cliff-sheltered, butter-yellow sands of Praia da Cova Redonda. A recent refurb means its retro curves feel trendy, not tired, and the connection to the sea is strong, with five saltwater swimming pools scattered through the grounds and a thalassotherapy focus at the spa. When you're not basking at the beach, there's racket sports and cooking classes, plus a kids' club and bi-weekly organic barbecues alongside four restaurants. Choose from serene suites or multi-bedroom residences, perfect for B&B doubles from £224 ( Fly to Faro • 16 of the best family hotels in the Algarve It's two-for-one on beaches at this tranquil, traditionally styled hotel on the stretch of coastline between Alporchinos and Carvoeira. A path from the grounds leads to Albandeira beach, a little gem with clear water (bring a snorkel) and a famous rock arch. During low tide a natural tunnel connects to a second, 'secret' beach, Praia da Estaquinha — but keep an eye on the time or you'll be swimming back. Recently renovated rooms and suites are sleeker than the slightly dated apartments, but the gardens and pools are beautiful, and the restaurant serves Portuguese favourites such as prawns with rice and B&B doubles from £94 ( Fly to Faro A belle époque mansion with a palm-fringed pool anchors this lively resort, a refined, adults-only haven overlooking Praia da Rocha, one of the western Algarve's largest beaches. High ceilings, chequerboard marble floors, intricate azulejo tile scenes and stained-glass windows give a real sense of grandeur, which won't be dispelled by the smart spa by L'Occitane, or the Michelin-starred restaurant that serves tasting menus featuring local produce and a vast selection of Portuguese wines. Choose between 18 rooms in historic buildings or another 20 in a modern B&B doubles from £284 ( Fly to Faro Clifftop hotels — so common in Portugal — excel at views, but for parents of young children the hike up and down to the beach can be a pain. This smart (if a tad soulless) low-rise property on the eastern outskirts of Lagos has easy and flat access to the wide, sandy Meia Praia, plus an all-inclusive package, a kids' club running in the summer months, a children's pool and junior suites with sofa beds. Alongside the main buffet and poolside snack bar is an à la carte option that features Portuguese classics. If you want to explore lively Lagos, a train runs from a station just outside the hotel and will whisk you there in ten B&B doubles from £94 ( Fly to Faro To the south of Lagos you'll find some of Portugal's most photographed cliffs at Ponta da Piedade, a dramatic headland where the caramel and ochre limestone has been wave-sculpted into pillars, arches and caves. Take the wooden walkway from outside this tranquil hotel and you can wander one way across the top of the famous formations; turn the other and within a couple of minutes you're down on sandy Porto de Mos beach. Inside the traditionally Portuguese exterior you'll find rococo flourishes in the 25 decently sized rooms and suites, which frame a large pool overlooking pretty, established B&B doubles from £98 ( Fly to Faro Gorgeously located with sandy shores to one side and a nature reserve on the other, this flagship resort from the Portuguese Martinhal brand is family heaven. Tots up to teens are comprehensively catered for: the kids' club accepts those from six months old; playgrounds, petanque and mini-golf are dotted around the grounds; tennis and football academies run in the holidays alongside swimming lessons; plus there's a BMX pump track, a games room and a water sports centre on the beach with windsurfing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. The six restaurants all have kids' menus, and accommodation is in rooms, apartments and Room-only doubles from £124 ( Fly to Faro • 13 of the best beaches in the Algarve The wind and waves at the Algarve's westernmost town make it surfer central and this airy, minimalist but nevertheless child-friendly hotel has its own surf centre to get them started. It's a lovely spot even if you don't want to catch waves, with exceptional sea and sunset views and a large if rather windswept pool. The restaurant focuses on dishes from the wood-fired oven, the bar has a wide selection of gins and the spa features a sauna and indoor heated pool. The small town beach is right outside the door but the larger, dune-backed Praia Martinhal and cliff-sheltered Praia da Mareta are both ten minutes away on foot. There are 144 rooms and suites, the latter with balconies and B&B doubles from £79 ( Fly to Faro While the southern edge of the Algarve is covered with hotels, the wild west coast has strict building regulations which keep its clifftops virgin. One of the closest to the shoreline is this converted quinta, where the traditional terracotta tiles and whitewashed walls have been broken up by expanses of glass and the decor exudes a kind of upmarket monastic calm. Breakfast is served in the airy cantina, and outside you'll find a heated pool, firepit, woodburning sauna and yoga deck. Complimentary bikes mean you can cycle to Odeceixe beach, a horseshoe of sand bordered by the Seixe river and the B&B doubles from £157 ( Fly to Faro With its cork oaks, olive trees and vineyards, the Alentejo region is noted for its rural farm stays, so there are fewer accommodation options on the coast. This best-of-both-worlds hotel in the heart of the regional nature park has farm animals to feed and its own vegetable garden, but it's also a five-minute walk to the wild, surf-bashed Praia da Ilha do Pessegueiro, which faces a small islet that's home to a ruined fortress. Explore on foot, two wheels or four hooves — the hotel can organise bikes and horseriding. The bedrooms, in the low, whitewashed, terracotta-roofed houses that are signature to the region, have bohemian charm and meals focus on local produce. There's a shared pool and padel courts on site. Book early for school holidays — it's understandably popular with B&B doubles from £95 ( Fly to Lisbon Development restrictions mean that if you want to stay right by the sea in the fashionable coastal village of Comporta, you'll need to book a villa because there are no hotels. But with its own beach club on the idyllic, dune-backed Praia do Carvalhal stretch, accessed via a complimentary 10-minute shuttle service, this famously chic hotel still brings the sand within easy reach. The main property is set in a country estate, with a pool surrounded by pine trees, a firepit and spa. Dining is refined and uses locally sourced ingredients — Iberian pork with a jus and local scarlet prawns made into a bisque, for example. Much of the accommodation is in modernist wooden cabanas, some with private plunge pools, and others overlooking an eco-friendly bio-pool populated by a community of particularly vocal B&B doubles from £166 ( Fly to Lisbon • 10 of the most beautiful places in Portugal (and how to see them) Protruding like a long, ET-style finger at the top of the Alentejo coast, the Troia peninsula isn't as well known to UK tourists as nearby Comporta, but the beaches are similarly stellar. The golden sands are protected by sunken sandbars out to sea, keeping the Atlantic's waves in check. The northern tip is busy with day trippers; central Sol Troia, where this hotel is, is sleepier and high-end. Spacious grounds host apartments and villas, many with private pools, and there are sports courts, restaurants, an on-site shop and bike rental, making it easy to go out exploring up and down the peninsula. You'll find one of Portugal's best golf courses at Troia, extensive Roman ruins, and may spot dolphins in the Sado Room-only doubles from £206, two-night minimum stay ( Fly to Lisbon You won't find many other Brits on the glorious sandy bay of Praia da California, set at the base of the Serra da Arrabida hills, but it's wildly popular with the Portuguese, who come for the beach and the excellent seafood served in the family-run restaurants that line the mural-adorned streets just behind it. Less than an hour south of Lisbon, it's a good value alternative to better-known Cascais, and this hotel's 84 warm, bright rooms and suites all have balconies and sea views, as does the infinity B&B doubles from £120 ( Fly to Lisbon Want to feel like one of the aristocrats who summered in Cascais in its 19th-century heyday? This hotel's the place; formerly the Duke of Loule's palace and still with sophistication in spades, from the original azulejo-lined cellar kitchen which now hosts wine tastings to the jauntily wallpapered rooms. Right on the urban beach, the restaurant and the sun deck — with a curving pool and tasteful wooden loungers — overlook the sand. There's even a hotel yacht, a handsome craft with teak interiors, which you can book for a day's crewed sailing along the B&B doubles from £170 ( Fly to Lisbon On a rugged promontory between two windswept beaches to the north of town, and within the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, this former 17th-century fortress is the perfect place to hole up and relax between bracing coastal walks. Twin cannons still guard the giant wooden gates, but visitors now receive a warm welcome. Many of the handsome — if slightly spartan — rooms with curving brick ceilings have sea views and the excellent restaurant holds a Michelin star, showcasing tastes of the Atlantic, from fragrantly curried razor clams to wreckfish in a traditional B&B doubles from £156 ( Fly to Lisbon More famous for its fairytale palaces inland, Sintra has a wild and wonderful coastline too. Just north of Cabo Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe, the long, sandy Praia Grande has dinosaur footprints in the cliffs at one end, and Portugal's largest ocean pool at the other. It's part of a smartly refurbished hotel, making this a great option if you love windswept beaches but want to swim without battling waves. All 60 rooms have balconies with ocean views, and the restaurant's terrace is a sublime spot to watch the sun set. It's just nine miles from Sintra's historic centre, so you can combine the seaside with B&B doubles from £72 ( Fly to Lisbon This street art-covered aparthotel hits all the hip notes you'd expect in the cool surf town of Ericeira, with 36 bright and breezy apartments from studio up to four bedrooms, and activities from yoga classes to rock climbing. The property is a hop, skip and a jump from the somewhat sheltered Praia do Sul, the most popular beach close by. The hotel's Jangada restaurant is a buzzy spot with an open kitchen, and the whole place is family-friendly, with a multi-tiered pool area, playground and games room. There's a kids' club for the little ones; teens will prefer to test their mettle on the hotel's skate B&B doubles from £124 ( Fly to Lisbon Take a gentle stroll across protected dunes from this ultra-stylish eco hotel and you'll be on Praia da Mexilhoeira, an unspoilt stretch of fine white sand characteristic of the underdeveloped Silver Coast, as this part is called. Rooms and villas combine driftwood chic with touches of Moroccan and Scandinavian influence, all encased within a contemporary glass and wood shell. Local, seasonal food is served in the restaurant (there's a special table for two in a dome in the vegetable garden), the spa has a wood-fired hot tub, and alongside the trendy, industrial-style bar, drinks are served around a firepit under the B&B doubles from £228 ( Fly to Lisbon Hardly your classic beach hotel, this turreted 19th-century mansion and its cutting-edge modern extension is nevertheless almost kissing the sand at Foz do Douro, Porto's shoreside suburb. You'll have a very elevated beach stay here — there's a Michelin-starred restaurant in the stucco-ceilinged former ballroom, mixologist-crafted cocktails in the parquet-floored bar and a space-age spa. Rooms and suites are divided; handsome classics in the original building and more avant-garde decor courtesy of the Portuguese designer Nini Andrade Silva in the contemporary building. Stroll along the oceanfront promenade, stopping for tapas-style petiscos at the beachside B&B doubles from £217 ( Fly to Porto There's a woodland feel inside and out at this activity-focused hotel just outside the coastal town of Viana do Castelo, 20 miles south of the Spanish border. Surrounded by pine forest — this isn't called the green coast for nothing — the hotel's chalet-style rooms, restaurants and spa are pine-clad too, so it's rather as if you're cocooned by the trees. Inside it's tasteful rather than plush, with a midcentury feel conducive to relaxation. On sandy, breezy Cabedelo beach, the hotel has the largest water sports centre in Portugal, with surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and wingfoiling, plus there's a 'wake park' on the nearby Lima River with wakeboarding, efoiling and stand-up paddleboarding. When you've had enough of the beach, there's a bike centre with rentals and guided road, mountain and gravel bike tours, and a pump track for extra B&B doubles from £120 ( Fly to Porto Have you got a great Portuguese beach hotel recommendation? Let us know in the comments below
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Europe is hit by more weather extremes
Extreme weather is wreaking havoc across Europe, pushing emergency services to their limits as wildfires, heatwaves, and storms sweep across the continent. Blazes have erupted in Portugal, Greece , and Spain , while tornadoes have struck tourist hotspots in parts of Spain and Switzerland. Thousands of firefighters have been battling a dozen wildfires raging in northern Portugal and central Spain through the night and into Wednesday, in the largest wave of blazes in the Iberian Peninsula so far this year following weeks of summer heat. 'There was a huge effort during the night, so now we have a somewhat calmer situation,' Civil Protection Commander Helder Silva told reporters, cautioning that shifting strong winds and a difficult terrain meant their work was far from over. 'It's a very large wildfire in areas with difficult access,' he said. Further north, a blaze has been raging since Saturday in the Peneda-Geres national park near the Spanish border, enveloping nearby villages in thick smoke that led to orders for residents to stay at home. Portuguese firefighters managed to control two large fires that started on Monday in the central areas of Penamacor and Nisa. Authorities said the Penamacor blaze had destroyed 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of forest. In Spain's central province of Avila, shifting gusts of wind hindered efforts by firefighters and a special military unit, emergency services said. Residents in the village of El Arenal, about 100 km (62 miles) west of Madrid, were advised to remain indoors due to heavy smoke. In Mombeltran near Avila, farmer Blas Rodriguez fought back tears as he walked among scorched trees, his olive grove devastated by the fire. 'This land belongs to my father. It burnt 16 years ago but the olive trees were spared from the fire... this time there is no way to save them, everything is completely burnt,' he told Reuters. In the western province of Caceres, the fire has affected 2,500 hectares, prompting evacuations from homes scattered across the Caminomorisco area, authorities said. Hot and dry summers are common across the region, but more intense heatwaves have contributed to destructive wildfires in recent years amid fast-rising temperatures around the globe. Meanwhile, in Greece a large wildfire is currently ripping through a forest area between Kanali and Monolithi in Preveza. The fire started at approximately 2pm local time (12.00 BST) and quickly grew. Shortly after the blaze erupted a 112 message was sent to residents of the area warning them to be alert and ready to evacuate if necessary. Residents have complained that emergency aircraft were slow to intervene, resulting in the fire growing in size and destroying a protected area, local media reports. Roughly 40 firefighters are working to tackle the blaze with, 16 vehicles, 4 aircraft and 1 helicopter at the scene. Water tankers and local government machinery are also helping to extinguish the blaze. Strong winds are reportedly blowing at the site, which makes the work of the Fire Department difficult. The fire has disrupted traffic on the National Highway from the Monolithi Junction to the intersection at Kanali. It isn't just wildfires wreaking havoc across Europe, but storms and tornadoes too. In Majorca, dramatic footage taken over the weekend shows a tornado striking a beach, sending sand and towels hurtling into the sky as tourists run for cover. Meanwhile, in the Alps, a sudden plunge in temperature caused snowfall overnight in Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie. And, in Switzerland on Tuesday, a fisherman captured a video of a spectacular waterspout spiralling high into the clouds over Lake Constance. It comes after raging wildfires engulfed Turkey outside the country's fourth-largest city - forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes. Flames ripped through the forested mountains surrounding Bursa city in northwest Turkey overnight on July 26, shining a threatening red glow on the night sky. It marks the latest city to be hit by deadly blazes this summer - as destinations in Greece and Cyprus have also fallen victim to aggressive wildfires amid unseasonably high temperatures. The governor's office in Bursa said more than 1,760 people were safely evacuated from villages to the northeast as more than 1,100 firefighters battled the flames. The highway linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed off as surrounding forests burned. Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, likened the scene to 'an apocalypse'. Turkey has been hit by dozens of wildfires every day since late June - with Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yamukli revealing fire crews across the country approached 76 separate blazes yesterday alone.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Wildfires break out in Portugal, Greece and Spain while tornadoes lash tourist hotspots as Europe is hit by more weather extremes
Extreme weather is wreaking havoc across Europe, pushing emergency services to their limits as wildfires, heatwaves, and storms sweep across the continent. Blazes have erupted in Portugal, Greece, and Spain, while tornadoes have struck tourist hotspots in parts of Spain and Switzerland. Thousands of firefighters have been battling a dozen wildfires raging in northern Portugal and central Spain through the night and into Wednesday, in the largest wave of blazes in the Iberian Peninsula so far this year following weeks of summer heat. The largest wildfire has been burning in the wooded, mountainous Arouca area - some 300 km (185 miles) north of Lisbon - since Monday, leading to the closure of the scenic trails of Passadicos do Paiva, a popular tourist attraction. Some 800 firefighters and seven waterbombing aircraft tackled the blaze. 'There was a huge effort during the night, so now we have a somewhat calmer situation,' Civil Protection Commander Helder Silva told reporters, cautioning that shifting strong winds and a difficult terrain meant their work was far from over. 'It's a very large wildfire in areas with difficult access,' he said. Further north, a blaze has been raging since Saturday in the Peneda-Geres national park near the Spanish border, enveloping nearby villages in thick smoke that led to orders for residents to stay at home. Portuguese firefighters managed to control two large fires that started on Monday in the central areas of Penamacor and Nisa. Authorities said the Penamacor blaze had destroyed 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of forest. In Spain's central province of Avila, shifting gusts of wind hindered efforts by firefighters and a special military unit, emergency services said. Residents in the village of El Arenal, about 100 km (62 miles) west of Madrid, were advised to remain indoors due to heavy smoke. In Mombeltran near Avila, farmer Blas Rodriguez fought back tears as he walked among scorched trees, his olive grove devastated by the fire. 'This land belongs to my father. It burnt 16 years ago but the olive trees were spared from the fire... this time there is no way to save them, everything is completely burnt,' he told Reuters. In the western province of Caceres, the fire has affected 2,500 hectares, prompting evacuations from homes scattered across the Caminomorisco area, authorities said. Hot and dry summers are common across the region, but more intense heatwaves have contributed to destructive wildfires in recent years amid fast-rising temperatures around the globe. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mallorca Viral (@mallorcaviral) It isn't just wildfires wreaking havoc across Europe, but storms and tornadoes too. In Majorca, dramatic footage shows a tornado striking a beach, sending sand and towels hurtling into the sky as tourists run for cover Raging wildfires engulfed Turkey outside the country's fourth-largest city - forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes. Pictured: An aerial view shows a nectarine orchard remaining green while the surrounding forest area lies scorched after a wildfire between the districts of Gursu and Kestel in Bursa, Turkey on July 30 Meanwhile, in Greece a large wildfire is currently ripping through a forest area between Kanali and Monolithi in Preveza. The fire started at approximately 2pm local time (12.00 BST) and quickly grew. Shortly after the blaze erupted a 112 message was sent to residents of the area warning them to be alert and ready to evacuate if necessary. Residents have complained that emergency aircraft were slow to intervene, resulting in the fire growing in size and destroying a protected area, local media reports. Roughly 40 firefighters are working to tackle the blaze with, 16 vehicles, 4 aircraft and 1 helicopter at the scene. Water tankers and local government machinery are also helping to extinguish the blaze. Strong winds are reportedly blowing at the site, which makes the work of the Fire Department difficult. The fire has disrupted traffic on the National Highway from the Monolithi Junction to the intersection at Kanali. It isn't just wildfires wreaking havoc across Europe, but storms and tornadoes too. In Majorca, dramatic footage taken over the weekend shows a tornado striking a beach, sending sand and towels hurtling into the sky as tourists run for cover. Meanwhile, in the Alps, a sudden plunge in temperature caused snowfall overnight in Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie. And, in Switzerland on Tuesday, a fisherman captured a video of a spectacular waterspout spiralling high into the clouds over Lake Constance. It comes after raging wildfires engulfed Turkey outside the country's fourth-largest city - forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes. Flames ripped through the forested mountains surrounding Bursa city in northwest Turkey overnight on July 26, shining a threatening red glow on the night sky. It marks the latest city to be hit by deadly blazes this summer - as destinations in Greece and Cyprus have also fallen victim to aggressive wildfires amid unseasonably high temperatures. The governor's office in Bursa said more than 1,760 people were safely evacuated from villages to the northeast as more than 1,100 firefighters battled the flames. The highway linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed off as surrounding forests burned. Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, likened the scene to 'an apocalypse'.
