A day journey to Sintra Portugal is like visiting a spot the place Europe’s prettiest castles have been squished onto a hilltop and with a splash of Disney and a beneficiant sprinkling of Gaudi’s most fantastical imaginings thrown in. Instagram photographs of the pink and yellow turrets and towers of the Peña Palace resemble one thing from a fairy story. This is among the the reason why Sintra is such a well-liked day journey from Lisbon. However there’s a lot extra.
I’ve wished to go to Sintra since I first noticed photos of this fantasyland, however I had no concept that this hillside city is definitely the house to many palaces and architectural wonders. Sintra’s historical past goes again to the Neolithic interval. It has been a summer season retreat for monarchs over time due to its cooler local weather. At this time Sintra is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Web site and ought to be in your bucket checklist.
Positioned simply half-hour from Lisbon by prepare, it’s actually a must-do if you’re spending three days in Lisbon (or extra!) You may spend simply 1 day in Sintra, however there’s truly a lot past these principal sights that I might encourage you to remain in a single day so you’ll be able to expertise all of it. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to nonetheless hit the highlights with a day journey to Sintra and here’s what you’ll be able to’t miss!
Day Journey to Sintra Should-See Locations
Observe: Our lunch at Setais Restaurant was hosted by Tivoli Palacio de Setais. This submit incorporates affiliate hyperlinks. Should you click on a hyperlink and make a purchase order, I’ll obtain a small fee. All opinions are my very own.
Peña Palace and Park
Within the 1800s, King Ferdinand remodeled a former monastery into the Peña Palace. He additionally had the Park of Peña planted with over 5 hundred species of bushes and crops originating from world wide. The Palace of Pena was designated a Nationwide Monument in 1910 and is a part of the Cultural Panorama of Sintra, which has been categorised by UNESCO as a World Heritage since 1995.
You may choose to go to both the Palace and the Park, or simply buy a ticket to the park. The Palace ticket will get you into the inside, to view the royal rooms. To be trustworthy, except you could have a specific curiosity in castles and palaces, you may be simply as properly off simply visiting the Park. Even the park entrance will get you into the bottom of the fort.
No matter you do, if you happen to do go to the Palace, don’t line up behind a tour group or area journey. You’ll be compelled to shuffle alongside by way of the slender, velvet-roped-lined corridors and your go to will take further lengthy. For me, the most effective a part of visiting Pena Palace was taking photos on the grounds of this very photogenic fort.
To go to the principle Palace space, you’ll need at the least an hour, extra if you’re going inside. However additionally, you will wish to go away time to stroll by way of the park, with its winding paths, pavilions and stone benches. A lot of that is behind the palace and will take you half a day or extra to totally discover.
Quinta da Regaleira
Till somebody left a touch upon considered one of my Instagram posts, I had by no means heard of Quinta da Regaleira. However after trying into it, I rapidly added it to our Sintra itinerary. Should you like Parc Guell or La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, you’ll love Quinta da Regaleira. It was constructed on the finish of the nineteenth century and blends romanticism and fantasy in a parklike paradise that youngsters will completely go loopy over.
The primary residence is unfold over 5 flooring and the skin facade is replete with turrets, gargoyles and different ornate options. You may go to the home, though just a few of the rooms are open to the general public. To be trustworthy, the within was fascinating to take a look at, however with a restricted time, I might give attention to the gardens as a substitute.
We solely bought to half of the grounds on our temporary go to so I might plan on spending half a day right here if you happen to can (there’s a cafe on website.) The gardens are simply stuffed with secret tunnels and passageways, grottos and towers and the issues that make your creativeness come alive. Plus, the shady pathways and wooded grounds provide respite from the solar and an exquisite technique to spend a day.
One factor that may’t be missed is the Initiation Effectively (Poço Imperfeito) and Lago da Cascata. The doorway to the properly is tucked behind a Stonehenge-looking construction and isn’t the best to seek out. From the doorway, you wind your approach down a spiral set of stairs into the depths of the earth. The best way is darkish, slender, slippery, and a bit of muddy.
You will want to maintain youngsters on the within and maintain their hand, because the guardrails between the steps and the drop into the properly shouldn’t be very excessive and it’s all too straightforward to think about a horrible fall. However don’t let it scare you away as it’s actually fairly fantastic.
On the backside of the properly, you’ll be able to take a tunnel (it helps to activate the flashlight perform in your cellphone and watch your step) to a secret hideout behind the waterfall at Lago da Cascata. A technique out will take you throughout moss-covered stepping stones by way of the “lake” to the trail on the opposite facet. It’s fairly an journey and a lot enjoyable!
Palace of Seteais (Palacio de Setais)
The Palacio de Setais is a five-minute stroll from Quinta da Regaleira and worthy of a cease. If for nothing else, you must get a photograph right here with a view throughout the valley under. Nevertheless, if you would like a pleasant break from touring, additionally it is a peaceable oasis for an expensive lunch.
Tivoli Accommodations has an association to function a five-star lodge right here, the Tivoli Palacio de Setais. There are solely 30 rooms accessible, and with the attractive tapestries and furnishings, it isn’t appropriate for younger youngsters. However even if you happen to can’t spring for an in a single day keep, you’ll be able to nonetheless reserve a lunch on the Seteais Restaurant.
The terrace of the restaurant overlooks the orange groves and pool. The meals is scrumptious and the environment is so calming that it’s straightforward to lose monitor of time (at the least for me, however possibly that was the wine :).) Don’t take too lengthy if you wish to see one other sight, however do take time for a meander by way of the labyrinth out again.
Moors Citadel (Castelo dos Mouros)
It wasn’t simply because we lingered too lengthy over lunch on the Setais Restaurant that we ran out of time to go to the Moorish Citadel. Additionally, as a result of we have been in Sintra on a nationwide vacation, the President was truly visiting Sintra and due to this fact the roads within the city of Sintra have been blocked off for the afternoon.
Subsequent time I return, I might like to climb alongside these historic partitions! Should you additionally assume you’ll be able to’t match a go to into your itinerary, you’ll be able to at the least seize a lovely view of the fort from the skin terraces of the Peña Palace.
Cascais
If you’re leaving Sintra on the finish of the day, I’d suggest you think about stopping within the seaside city of Cascais to catch the sundown and have dinner earlier than returning to Lisbon. This vacation city retains its attraction, regardless of the inflow of touristy retailers and Irish pubs. Maybe it’s the charming structure or the tile-lined pedestrian streets.
Or, possibly it’s the marina and the small seaside that lets you dip your toes into the japanese facet of the Atlantic. A enjoyable spot for sundowners is the rooftop at Cafe Galeria Home of Wonders.
You may additionally go to Praia das Maçãs (Apple Seashore), one other widespread seaside, however it’s a little additional north than Cascais and places you a bit additional away from Lisbon.
Two Days in Sintra
Should you do find yourself staying in a single day, there are two different principal points of interest to go to in Sintra:
Monserrate Palace
Monserrate Palace is the normal summer season palace of the Portuguese courtroom. The Palace combines Gothic, Indian, and Moorish influences. The park is considered one of Portugal’s richest botanical gardens. Like most palaces in Sintra, the Monserrate palace affords that mixture of romanticism and fantasy that makes the entire city so magical.
Nationwide Palace of Sintra
Within the city centre, you will see the Palácio Nacional of Sintra. Its Moorish structure is noticeable from the street, with its attention-grabbing white conical buildings inflicting me to look twice as a result of they jogged my memory of KKK hoods.
Attending to Sintra
Attending to Sintra from Lisbon is definitely fairly straightforward, whereas getting round in Sintra requires a bit extra effort. The prepare from Lisbon is the best choice because it avoids the inevitable visitors that winds its approach up the hill to Sintra. It’s a 40-45 minute prepare experience from Lisbon to Sintra.
From the centre of Sintra, you’ll be able to rent a tuk-tuk, take a taxi, hop on the bus, or climb as much as the highest. Not solely is it fairly a hike from the centre of Sintra to the Peña Palace on the prime of the hill, however the roads are additionally slender and the automobiles are passing fairly near pedestrians. It actually can be quite a bit to do with a stroller.
I do suggest you are taking a cab or bus and begin on the prime and work your approach down, however remember the fact that these palaces are constructed on a hill and every have their very own grounds, that are surrounded by woodland. There are some strolling paths that join completely different points of interest, like one from Peña Palace over to the Moorish Citadel, however this all means numerous steep strolling. The points of interest usually are not clustered round one another as you would possibly discover in a metropolis.
Driving to Sintra could sound like a a lot better choice, however in actuality, it isn’t. Not solely do you’ll want to deal with visitors backing up as slow-moving automobiles and busses make their approach up the slender switchbacks to the city of Sintra, however there’s additionally little or no area to park. There’s a small car parking zone previous the doorway to the Peña Palace. However past that, there’s little or no exterior of restricted avenue parking.
Should you don’t wish to cope with any trouble, there are two methods to go. Both take an organized or non-public tour or rent a personal driver. We initially deliberate on taking a personal tour with Lisbon by Beetle, however they cancelled on the final minute so the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade, the place we have been staying in Lisbon, organized for a automobile and driver as a substitute. I need to say that it was extremely handy to take as a lot time as we preferred at every vacation spot after which stroll out of the gate to seek out our driver ready. Even getting again to Lisbon at rush hour wasn’t too unhealthy within the consolation of a personal automobile.
Suggestions for Visiting Sintra
- Get an early begin!! There’s a lot to see and if you’re not staying in a single day you’ll solely get to half of the above if you happen to don’t plan for an extended day.
- Keep away from public holidays and weekends and examine the calendar upfront. We have been stunned to seek out big crowds on a Wednesday on the finish of April but when we had deliberate forward and checked the calendar, we may have found that it was a nationwide vacation and rearranged our schedule.
- Costume in layers as it will likely be cooler in Sintra than in Lisbon or Cascais
- Anticipate it to be windy on the hill, particularly standing on these terraces surrounding Peña Palace. You could wish to tie again lengthy hair and hold a very good grip on mild gadgets.
- Put on snug footwear! Even if you happen to rent a automobile and driver, you’ll do loads of strolling over uneven surfaces.
- Go away the stroller at dwelling. I might counsel a backpack service for younger youngsters as a stroller can be a bumpy experience (and onerous to push) over the paths and up the hills.
- A bus to the Peña Palace entrance is simply 3.5 euro if you wish to save your self some climbing.
- I extremely suggest that you just purchase tickets on-line upfront to save lots of time queueing for tickets.
- Should you do purchase tickets on website, the ticket kiosks at Peña Palace solely take bank cards with a chip and PIN (and no American Specific.)
- To save cash, you should purchase the mixture tickets, however solely achieve this if you could have time to go to each points of interest.
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