Best Things To Do In Sintra

One of the best excursions from the Portuguese capital is, without a doubt, the one that takes you to the town of Sintra. Although there is a lot to see and do in Lisbon, if you can find the time to visit this city I assure you that you won't regret it. To convince you, I have prepared a short list of its main attractions.

Sintra, just 25 kilometres from Lisbon, is part of the list of World Heritage Cities by Unesco. Although its most famous monument is the spectacular Pena Palace, you will also find other impressive buildings, nearby beaches and fabulous views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Sintra's most famous landmark is the Pena Palace. In fact, the complex of which it is a part has been declared by Portugal as one of its Seven Wonders.

This palace was born in the 15th century as a simple monastery, but was destroyed by several natural disasters. After that, in the 19th century, King Ferdinand II bought the land and ordered the construction of the palace, which today can be visited to spend summers with his family.

The Pena Palace is located on the top of a hill overlooking the city. It was built in a mixture of different architectural styles, from Renaissance to Moorish, and its exterior was painted in bright colours.

Practical information

• How to get there: the most convenient way is to book an excursion from Lisbon that includes a visit to the palace if you are in the capital. If you are travelling by train, when you arrive at Sintra station you should take bus 434. You can also walk this route, but it is a 3-kilometre uphill climb.
• Tickets: If you are on your own, I recommend booking your visit to the Pena Palace in advance, which costs around €23.
• Opening hours: The palace opens at 09:30 and closes at 18:30, although admission is only allowed until 18:00. The park can be visited between 09:00 and 19:00.
• If you want to know more... Read the article How to visit the Pena Palace

Although lesser known than the Pena Palace, if you are in Sintra you should not miss a visit to the Quinta da Regaleira. The whole complex exudes magic and mystery, with secret passages, hidden waterfalls, grottoes and multiple references to the Templars and Freemasonry.

During your walk you will be able to see:

• Several exotic species.
• The so-called Initiatory Well, a large stone well with a spiral staircase and a cross of the Order of the Temple on one of its walls.
• The Chapel of the Holy Trinity.
• The Palace of Regaleira, which houses an alchemical laboratory located in an octagonal tower (typical of the Order of the Temple), the Hunting Hall and the library.

Practical information

• Entrance fee: when booking an excursion to Sintra from Lisbon, entrance to the Quinta may be included. For those going on a self-guided tour or a tour without an entrance fee, it costs between €10 and €15 and the visit can be either guided or self-guided. There are special prices for children, young people and senior citizens.
• Visiting hours: every day from 9:30 am to 8:00 pm from April to September, the rest of the months from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm.

Another great building not to be missed if you visit Sintra is the National Palace, a true symbol of the city. Its two towers, actually large conical chimneys rising from the kitchen, form part of the town's unmistakable landscape and are visible from many of its streets.

The palace was first built in the Moorish style, but in the 15th century it was completely renovated in the Manueline style. For its architectural and historical merits, the building was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Although the exterior is always worth seeing, the best part of the visit takes place inside the palace. In addition to its courtyards and mosaic-decorated chapel, don't miss the rooms filled with beautiful geometric tiles.

Practical information

• Admission: the normal adult ticket costs around €10, with small discounts for children and the over 65s. You can also buy a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) for around €33.
• Opening hours: from 09:30 to 18:30.
• Its most beautiful rooms are: Sala Moura, Sala dos Cisnes, Sala Dos Archeiros and Sala das Pregas.

On a hill overlooking the town, near the entrance to the Pena Palace, stands the Castelo dos Mouros, a fortress built by the Arabs in the 9th century in the middle of a forest. Although you will have to face a climb to get there, I recommend you book tickets to the Castelo dos Mouros to see it:

• The Royal Tower: it has an access leading to the terrace. Don't hesitate to go up for a great view of the whole city and the Atlantic.
• The Moorish gate with a horseshoe arch that has survived the passage of time.
• The old Romanesque chapel:
• The great cistern built by the Arabs.

Practical information

• How to get there: from the Pena Palace you must follow a road that leads to the walls. The path you have to take, Rampa da Pena, is quite winding, but the effort is not too strenuous.
• Tickets: about €12 for adults, with a small discount for young people and the over 65s.
• Opening hours: 9:00 am to 6:30 pm

If you like lesser-known stories, you will love a visit to the Convento dos Capuchos. For starters, the place is located in a magical setting, in the middle of a forest about 7 kilometres from the centre of Sintra.

This former Franciscan monastery was built in 1560. You can still see the cells carved in stone in which the monks lived in order to keep the vow of poverty that characterised the order. If you go inside I recommend you be careful, as all the doors and ceilings are very low.

Apart from these cells, other rooms are still standing, such as the kitchen, the church, the chapel of Senhor Morto and the chapel of Senhor dos Passos. The latter still preserves interesting remains of tiles with religious scenes.

Practical information

• How to get there: if you don't have a car, the best option is to take the local tourist bus, which will allow you to visit some of the more out-of-the-way corners of the town at your own pace. Another option is to take a taxi or walk to the area.
• Tickets: Admission for adults is around €7, while children and the over 65s pay €1.50 less.
• Opening hours: in winter it opens at 09:00 and closes at 18:00, while the closing time in summer is extended to 20:00.

As in Lisbon's Alfama district and others like it, Sintra's charm goes beyond its monuments. For this reason, I recommend that you head for the old quarter of the city and simply stroll through its streets to enjoy the marvellous buildings that make them up. Not to be missed:

• The town's town hall with its neo-Manueline style façade. It is truly a small architectural jewel.
• The Museu de História Natural and the Museu Anjos Texeira.
• The gift shops in case you feel like buying something.

It is also home to some of **Sintra'**s best restaurants, but if you don't have time to stop, there are other culinary delights to try such as queijadas and traveseiros. Definitely the best place to try them (or buy some for later) is the Casa Piriquita pastry shop.

A few kilometres from the centre of Sintra is the Palace of Monserrate, a mansion built in the 19th century by the British millionaire Sir Francis Cook. It is one of the finest examples of Moorish style in Portugal, although Indian, Mudejar and Gothic influences are also evident.

My advice is to take advantage of your visit to stroll around the park surrounding the building, which is home to exotic plants brought there by the British nobleman.

Practical information

• How to get there: it is about 4 kilometres from the centre of Sintra. If you don't feel like walking that far and don't have a car, the best way to get there is to use the Scotturb 435 bus.
• Tickets: The adult ticket costs about €8 and is valid for both the palace and the park. Children and over 65s get a €1.5 discount.
• Opening hours: The park is open from 09:00 to 19:00, while the palace can be visited between 09:30 and 18:30.

Although not a must-see, if you have enough time, you can visit the Countess d' Edla's chalet and gardens without fear of being disappointed. The house was built in an Alpine style very different from the rest of the buildings in Sintra.

It was King Ferdinand II who ordered it to be built for the romantic reason of having a place to live his love story with Elise Hensler, the Countess d' Edla and his future wife.

The most interesting part of the visit are the gardens surrounding the house, with a large number of exotic plants brought from as far away as New Zealand and Australia.

Practical information

• Admission: included in the Palacio da Pena entrance fee.
• Opening hours: from 09:00 to 19:00 to see the gardens and from 09:00 to 18:00 to enter the villa.

Most of the time, when you organise excursions to Sintra from Lisbon, you think about seeing the monuments and the nature that surrounds them. However, many Lisboners make the trip to go to some of the country's best beaches in summer or spring.

The best known beaches are Guincho, Ursa and Maçãs. To reach them you can use Sintra's historic tram.

Ursa, in particular, is possibly one of the most spectacular beaches in the whole country. Its sand is surrounded by high cliffs and jagged rocky outcrops that give it a unique beauty.

Although it is somewhat remote from Sintra (about 20 kilometres west of the town), Cabo da Roca is a must-see if you get the chance. In fact, it is included in almost all organised tours departing from Lisbon.

This is the most westerly point in continental Europe. From its 140-metre-high cliffs (crowned by a lighthouse) you can enjoy breathtaking views of the Atlantic and the waves crashing against the rocks.

Practical information

• How to get there: hiring an excursion to Cabo da Roca from Lisbon is a good option, followed by the car option. Those who prefer public transport can also visit the cape with the Scotturb bus company.

If you want more detailed information you can find it in my article How to get from Lisbon to Sintra. Here is a summary of the ways to travel between the two cities:

• Organised excursion: the most comfortable way to get to know Sintra from Lisbon is by hiring an organised excursion. There are several types, from those that include entrance fees to the main monuments to those that also take you to Cabo da Pena.
• Train: from Rossio station there are several daily trains that will take you to Sintra. Another option is to take the train line from Oriente station, but check first if you need to change trains.
• Car: Although there are great advantages to driving, there is a good chance that you will encounter serious parking problems in Sintra, especially in high season and at weekends.