The Mayor of Cascais, Carlos Carreiras, explained to The Portugal News, the reason why Cascais may be one of the greatest places to live.
The Portugal News (TPN): Why is the municipality of Cascais so appealing to foreign people?
Carlos Carreiras (CC): It has to do with the identity of Cascais. We have been a welcoming council for 660 years. We have always welcomed other people, other cultures, and other religions. This has also helped us improve our knowledge and our understanding of the world.
TPN: Did this identity help foreigners see Cascais as the right place to live?
CC: I would say that it helped Cascais to be what it is today. It explains what it is to be from Cascais, to be open-minded people, who facilitate the integration of others. I believe that, in Cascais, 80 percent of the world’s nationalities are living here, and yet, Cascais is not foreign, because everyone is integrated into our community.
TPN: What did the foreign community bring?
CC: It may be divided into phases because I would say that it brought essentially, cultural activities. For example, we still have here in the council, a school group, which is the Ibn Mucana School Group, named after a Muslim poet, who lived here for many years.
Another example is that during the Second World War, we sheltered many Jewish citizens and more recently, following this logic of acceptance, many Ukrainian citizens also came to Cascais.
Our connection to the sea, even due to King Don Carlos, with the relationship with Prince Albert I of Monaco, for example, also leaves a strong legacy in Cascais.
TPN: In your opinion, do you think that all these influences end up attracting a lot of tourism? Or do you think that tourism is related to other factors?
CC: What I can identify is residential tourism. Those who choose Cascais to spend a part of their time here, living in our council.
Literal tourism, as we identify it, is influenced by other factors starting with the excellent conditions we have, either from a natural point of view, or from a climatic point of view, and maybe because of our pleasant life conditions. For example, the city hall is strongly concerned with and has made several investments in the fight against the factors that cause climate change. We have the privilege of living between the mountains and sea and there are not many areas in the world that have these two beautiful and rich patrimonies like Cascais.
Cascais is also a safe place, and today it is an asset that is sought after all over the world, not every country in the world, unfortunately, can state the same as us.
TPN: Which are the biggest foreign communities living in Cascais?
CC: The first one is clearly and prominently the Brazilian community. After them, it will certainly be Ukraine citizens, due to those who have fled from the war. In third place, there are English citizens. But there are also many other nationalities with some expression, primarily European nationalities, as is the case of the Germans, Spanish and French people. Also Italian and Romanian people, due to the similarities between Portuguese and their mother tongues.
TPN: Does the municipality offer conditions for foreign investment?
CC: Although investing is always risky, the municipality offers advice through a municipal agency, the DNA Cascais, to promote investment and entrepreneurship. In the case of large investments, the city council will be directly involved, not only for advice but also to guide with bureaucracy and other concerns.
TPN: I would like to go back to the concern of the municipality with climate change. How is the municipality contributing to mitigate climate change?
CC: Firstly, we benefit a lot from our geographical conditions. A third of our council is a natural park and, around there, we still have about 50% of the Cascais territory, which are non-classified natural spaces. We also invest in our exceptional coastline, for example by planting marine forests that can absorb as much, or even more CO2 than the continental forests.
TPN: Do you believe that the municipality can receive even more foreigners?
CC: We do not close the door to anyone, it is part of the council’s identity. Over the centuries this trade has benefited us and therefore we are always open. The problem is not to receive more foreigners, it is the conditions we can receive them and integrate them with us, without creating splits within the community.
At the moment, what is presented as the greatest struggle and the greatest potential to cause any split is related to the real estate market. We have been investing in the level of public housing construction to reduce the risk of a rupture among the various citizens who were born in Portugal or were not born in Portugal.
Those who arrive in Cascais are not considered foreign citizens, they are Cascalenses.
TPN: Is there anything that you would like to say to The Portugal News’ readers?
CC: I would like to reiterate the invitation for everyone to come and help us make Cascais the best council to enjoy for a day, a week or a lifetime.
Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463.
This Gentleman, unfortunately like most -Politicians- clearly lives in his own ‘bubble’ - clueless of what he and his Presidency did and is still across the board doing to Cascais. The risk of the rupture he speaks about <has happened> and a long time ago and I am not just referring to Housing.
By Miguel from Lisbon on 10 Oct 2024, 13:46
I'm astonished not to see any mention of Americans in the list of nationalities who've made Cascais their home. Americans flock to Cascais mostly for status, which appears to be an important factor to them, as its high property prices are a way for them to externally show signs of their wealth. Of course there is the other limitation afflicting Americans in that they appear not yet to have discovered in any significant numbers that there's far more to Portugal than just Lisbon and its satellite towns, and the Algarve.
By Billy Bissett from Porto on 10 Oct 2024, 21:44