Agualva-Cacém is the 10th largest city in Portugal. Divided into four civil parishes-Agualva, Cacém, Mira Sintra and São Marcos-its territory range extends within the Greater Lisbon subregion.
Prior to being elevated into the city status (12 July 2011), it was considered as one single civil parish that covered much of the municipality of Sintra. The parishes were then merged on 21 January 2013 to form two parishes, the União das Freguesias de Agualva e Mira-Sintra and União das Frequesias do Cacém e S. Marcos.
Agualva-Cacém has a rich and existing heritage despite challenges posed by the urbanization of the city. Some of the notable sites are the following:
- Ribeira das Jardas and the quatro caminhos or four-paths lagoon
- the 3000 BC dolmen-type megalithic monument Anta Agualva that is considered a national monument
- the archaeological parks of the High Colaride called Palacio da Quinta da Fidalga and Quinta da Bela-Vista
- the Sítio Arqueológico de Colaride (Archaeological Colaride/Rocanes), also called Estação Romana de Colaride (Colaride Roman Station) consisting of a conduit and a set of pits, and where the 18th century windmill Moinho de Colaride (Mill Colaride) or Rocanes may be found