Carcavelos

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Carcavelos is a parish in the Portuguese municipality of Cascais, about 12 km west of Lisbon. It has one of the best beaches in the Estoril coast. The village used to be known for the Carcavelos wine, but since the wine production is nowadays reduced, Carcavelos is better known among surfers because of the good surfing condition of the Carcavelos beach. Body surfing is also becoming very popular, although with a different approach from the practised in The Wedge in Newport Beach, California.

Carcavelos also marks the mouth of the Tagus River. To the east side of the Carcavelos beach there is a huge fortification named Forte de São Julião da Barra. It used to protect the Tagus river entrance from enemy ships. Currently it is used as the official summer residence of the Ministry of Defense.

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Carcavelos was an important landing point in the international telegraph network, providing crucial communication links for the British Empire. Most of the links were run by forerunners of the Cable & Wireless company.