The Duke of Windsor, the Spanish royal family, the King of Romania, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Leslie Howard, Ian Fleming, Dušan Popov, Garbo... all settled in Estoril during the Second World War... They would later inspire the character of James Bond!
Portugal during the War 1939–1945
When the Second World War broke out in 1939, Portugal was under an authoritarian political regime led by António de Oliveira Salazar: the Estado Novo. If you would like to learn a bit more about Salazar, please see our article: 11 famous Portuguese people you’ve heard of.
The Portuguese state then declared its neutrality by signing a non-aggression treaty with Francoist Spain and refusing to join the alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Unwilling to upset either Britain or Nazi Germany, Salazar promised the British not to take any action against Jews in Portugal and, at the same time, banned the issuing of visas to those being persecuted by the Nazi regime.
Aristides de Sousa Mendes, the Portuguese Consul in Bordeaux, defied orders and issued over 30,000 visas to Jews of all nationalities.
Portugal then became a transit point for refugees heading to the United States but also a destination for those being persecuted. Exiled statesmen, dethroned kings, writers, artists, intellectuals, businessmen, and thousands of ordinary people found refuge in the Cascais–Estoril area thanks to its many hotels and boarding houses.
In Estoril, one might encounter the Duke of Windsor, the Spanish royal family, the King of Romania, Carol II, the Regent of Hungary, Miklós Horthy, the Queen of Bulgaria... and also more shadowy figures.
Inaugurated in 1999, the Exiles Memorial Space preserves the memory of all those who found refuge in Cascais and Estoril during the various wars that devastated Europe in the 20th century, especially the Jews fleeing the Nazi regime.
Estoril, rendezvous of spies
Several American reports referred to Lisbon and Estoril as the "Spy Capital", aided by the Portuguese secret police’s neutral stance on foreign espionage activities, provided they did not interfere with internal politics.
On one side, German spies attempted to buy information about transatlantic cargo ships departing from Lisbon to assist their submarines in the Battle of the Atlantic.
On the other, celebrities such as actress Zsa Zsa Gabor and Leslie Howard settled in Estoril and collaborated with the Allies. Ian Fleming, a British naval intelligence officer, stayed at the Palácio Hotel in Estoril to oversee Dušan Popov, a double agent working for both the British and the Germans...
In Estoril, the Germans chose the Atlântico Hotel, the Grande Hotel do Monte Estoril, and the Hotel do Parque,
while the Grande Hotel da Itália in Monte Estoril and the Palácio Hotel were preferred by the Allies.
Dušan Popov, the spy who inspired James Bond
Dušan Popov was recruited by the Abwehr to spy in the United Kingdom but passed on a mixture of true and false information after also being recruited by British intelligence. He frequently travelled to Portugal where his German contact would meet him at the casino of the Palácio Hotel in Estoril.
Ian Fleming was then a British intelligence officer posted in Portugal in charge of monitoring Dušan Popov and stayed at the Palácio Hotel in Estoril.
One evening, Dušan Popov, under surveillance by Ian Fleming, bluffed a boastful wealthy Lithuanian during a game of baccarat, betting the full $38,000 of his mission expenses on a single hand. This bluff would inspire Ian Fleming in writing Casino Royale.
Popov would later be recognised as the most remarkable double agent of the Second World War and Ian Fleming would go on to become the bestselling author of the James Bond saga. In 1969, the Palácio Hotel in Estoril hosted the filming of the James Bond film "On Her Majesty’s Secret Service".
Garbo, the spy decorated by both the Nazis and the British
Garbo, whose real name was Joan Pujol Garcia, is considered the greatest double agent of the Second World War. He convinced the Germans that he was spying for them in England, when in fact he was in Portugal feeding them false information. For this, he was awarded the German Iron Cross in July 1944.
In reality, his mission with MI5 was to feed false information to the Abwehr about the D-Day landings by convincing the Nazis that it was merely a diversion and that the real invasion would take place two weeks later in the Pas de Calais. For this, he was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by King George VI in
Estoril, nest of spies
Garbo and Popov were not isolated cases. Many spies occupied the squares, hotels, and guesthouses of Estoril, working double roles and deceiving one or both sides. Most were eventually discovered and disappeared.
One such example is Leslie Howard, an American actor, director, and producer, who was targeted by German fighter planes while aboard a flight departing Lisbon, suggesting that his secret service collaboration had been exposed. Also on board was Tyrell Shervington, director of Shell in Lisbon and close to British intelligence. Both were killed in the aerial attack.
Discover the legendary espionage sites of Estoril
The Atlântico Hotel
In 1939, the "Atlântico" hotel, now the Intercontinental Hotel, was purchased by a German industrialist named Wortus. It was soon used as a base of operations for German spies, who took advantage of the sea view to monitor maritime traffic to the port of Lisbon. Due to a shortage of accommodation, several Jewish families also took up residence there, leading to significant tensions.
Atlântico Hotel (Seaside) – Monte Estoril
The Palácio Hotel
The Palácio Hotel is one of the few hotels still standing with its original style. The hotel’s lounge was the Allies' favourite meeting spot, where their spies would speak openly. However, microphones were later discovered in the walls, under carpets, and inside lamps. Ian Fleming, British intelligence officer, frequented both the bar and the Casino here.
Pastelaria Garrett
The Grande Hotel
