Welcome to the Sausalito-Cascais program.
Sausalito and Cascais became Sister Cities in 2013 making Cascais Sausalito’s newest and third sister city relationship. Sausalito & Cascais have much in common based on their size, nautical heritage, waterfront communities and artistic traditions. Sausalito also has a robust history of Portuguese settlers in the area spanning from the mid 1800’s. This heritage is kept alive and well by an active Azorean community and the Sausalito Portuguese Cultural Center making this sister city relationship a natural affiliation.
Program Goals and Scope:
Consistent with the overall Sausalito Sister City mission statement, the Cascais program aims to promote educational and cultural exchange between the two cities. One component of this is to leverage the sailing heritage and seafaring port traditions of Sausalito and Cascais via a youth sailing and cultural exchange program.
Youth Sailing Exchange Elements:
It is a rich multi-cultural people to people exchange program; the students learn the diplomacy of serving as Ambassadors representing Sausalito and their yacht club; they hone their sailing skills and they experience a different culture on an intimate basis by staying in host family homes. Our hope is that is life-changing and that it makes them more compassionate world citizens committed to peace and harmony and understanding.
Program Management:
Representatives of the Sausalito —Cascais Sister City Operations Council and the Sausalito Yacht Club collaborated with their counterparts in Cascais, Portugal and at the Clube Naval Cascais to develop the first international Youth Sailing Exchange program in California.
Program and City Histories:
Sausalito and Cascais became Sister Cities with the official signing of the Twinning Agreement in May 2013 in Plaza Vina del Mar on Bridgeway on Bridgeway, thus forming Sausalito’s third sister city relationship. Both cities have a rich heritage in fishing, boat building and sailing.
Cascais, founded in 1364, is a coastal town and a municipality in Portugal. It is located where the Tagus River meets the Atlantic Ocean which is 30 kilometres west of Lisbon. Similar to Sausalito and the Golden Gate National Recreational Area, Cascais is bordered on one side by the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park.