Sintra, Portugal

Q: What is the best date to go to Sintra?

This area of Portugal has a very good climate to go to at any time of the year, although the best months are from May to October since the weather at that time is practically perfect to enjoy all the natural and cultural resources that this wonderful city offers us. town. The Sintra Music Festival is held between the months of May and September, with no fixed date each year, one of the most historic music festivals in Portugal where the best artists of classical music come together, but the best of this event are the settings, these are some of the most beautiful and representative buildings of the town such as Quinta da Regaleira or the Palácio Nacional de Sintra . If you want to experience this wonderful event, you might be interested in traveling in the month that takes place to experience something almost unique. The dates from May to October are perfect to visit the beaches in this area, such as Praia da Ursa (Osa Beach) or Praia da Adraga ( Adraga Beach ) , you have to go yes or yes! There are several beautiful beaches in fine sand and rock formations, you cannot leave without visiting one of these beaches and taking a refreshing swim, something that you will appreciate with such pleasant temperatures.

Q: How to get to Sintra?

It is very easy to get to Sintra due to its proximity to Lisbon , this city being the capital of Portugal has an airport, the Humberto Delgado airport , with many connections with a large number of countries and cities, such as Munich, Edinburgh, London, Prague or Dublin . Once in Lisbon you can access the town of Sintra by car or by public transport, in this case, you only have to take the metro to Oriente statio n and from there take the Linha de Sintra (Sintra Line) of the train until you arrive at your destination. Other possibilities are access through the airports of Faro , in the south of the country and the third most important airport in Portugal , or the Francisco Sá Carneiro airport in Porto , both are at a practically similar distance, by car with the good connections that exist in Portugal. You will easily get to your destination, enjoying the beautiful landscapes that this country offers us. From Cascais , which is very close and is a city quite visited in the country for its great attractions, you can get there very easily by car, or by public transport by taking bus number 417 at the Cascais bus terminal, arriving in Sintra in the blink of an eye. It is very common to take organized trips to Lisbon where they include the town of Sintra and Cascais in their itinerary, so it can be very comfortable if what you are looking for is to create an itinerary with all the most important activities in that area of Portugal .

Discover Sintra, one of the greatest heritages in Portugal and surprising with its unique cultural landscape

Sintra
© Celestino Manuel

Sintra is a town located a few kilometers from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. This proximity makes it have an unbeatable location. The town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995, this declaration is due to the beautiful cultural landscape that characterizes this small city, where during the 19th century a mountainous landscape began to be transformed into a work of art of Romantic style.

Sintra
© Pedro Szekely

The town stands out among other things for its narrow streets and with some unevenness due to the mountains in which it is located, the streets full of craft shops, and its typical sweets are also part of the attraction of the town. The most characteristic is the queijadinha from Sintra, made from cheese, egg, flour and sugar, it is a pleasure for the senses and is completely worth trying.

Palacio da Pena © Serge Michaux

The strong point of this wonderful town is its architecture, there is nothing like it due to the mixture of styles that occur in this town, Baroque among others highlights the Arab influence, and Baroque or Manueline styles. One of the many examples is the Palácio da Pena, this town is characterized by having several palaces and fortresses on top of the mountains with a style, mainly romantic from the 19th century, all this promoted by Fernando II, the king of Portugal of the 19th century, on an excursion to this mountainous area, he fell in love with it and its landscape, then decided to transform a very dilapidated and almost destroyed monastery into what is now the Palácio da Pena (Pena Palace).

The temperatures in this area of Portugal are very mild given the proximity to the coast, the forests around the town are quite humid because the mountains act as a condensation barrier and the humidity that they collect serves to feed all the vegetation present in these forests that form the wonderful Sintra Cascais Natural Park.

Index

What to see in Sintra, Portugal?
What to do in Sintra in one day?
What are the best plans to do in Sintra?
What is the best date to go to Sintra?
What are the best excursions in Sintra?
How to get to Sintra?
Where to stay in Sintra?

What are the best places to see in Sintra, Portugal?

The town of Sintra seems to be taken out of a storybook, its streets, narrow and very picturesque, full of cobblestones and very beautiful things on the sides. This villa, even if it is not a large size, has a lot of attractions.

Sintra National Palace
© Lychee Vanilla

Inside this town, the greatness of the National Palace of Sintra stands out, currently it is in the Manueline style, but at first its architecture was in the Arab style until it was remodeled in the 15th century. In this building you will find beautiful mosaics and frescoes in its different rooms, although what is most striking are its huge cone-shaped chimneys that rise above the entire building until reaching 33 meters in height, appreciable from various points of the villa.

Palácio da Pena, Sintra
© Sonia Cardoso

A fairytale villa needs a palace of princes and princesses, this is the Palácio da Pena (Pena Palace), one of those obligatory points to see in this town. With a mixture of styles, Gothic towers furniture inside or Manueline and Mudejar motifs, simply an impressive mix of architectural styles that impresses. The palace is located on the top of a hill, this location gives it the impressive and monumental character that it has, since it presides over the town from the top. In the surroundings of this building you will find beautiful gardens that will make you fall in love with their beauty and their precious views, something impressive.

Quinta da Regaleira © Hugo Carriço

A mandatory place in that town is Quinta da Regaleira, it is very close to the town of Sintra, in this place you have a lot to see, first, an imposing Manueline-style palace with large balconies and huge towers. The forests and gardens of this villa will make you feel in full contact with nature in an idyllic space.

Although the most striking aspect of this place is the Inverted Tower, an underground gallery nine stories deep in a spiral, which represent Dante's nine hells in The Divine Comedy. It is known as initiation well since Masonic initiation rituals were carried out in it, the mystery takes hold of this place and will not leave you indifferent, a curiosity is that this well connects with other points of the fifth through underground passages, it could be the scene of the best mystery novels.

Moorish Castle © PSML EMIGUS

At the top of the Sintra mountain range that surrounds the city and next to the Palácio da Pena, is the Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors), a fortification that allowed the Arabs to control the entire territory due to its good location on one of the highest rocks in the area, after losing the territory in the reconquest by the Portuguese, this fortress was left in disuse and being invaded by vegetation, now it is one of the most spectacular points of Sintra.

In the surroundings of this town you can find the Sintra Cascais Natural Park, this space, in addition to being a huge green area perfect for walks, excursions and picnics, you can visit, among many other things, different lagoons such as Lagoa Azul (Blue Lagoon) and the Palácio de Monserrate, which will surprise you with its eclectic architecture and its beautiful gardens.

What to do in Sintra in one day?

Chalet of the countess of Edla
© Vítor Oliveira

Generally, to see everything that Sintra offers us, between 1 and 2 nights are necessary, although it is a small destination, it has many resources to see, both natural, cultural and heritage. If it turns out that you are in another nearby destination such as Lisbon or Cascais and you want to take an excursion to this charming town, keep in mind that you will not want to go.

Quinta da Regaleira Palace
© Colin Hepburn

For a one-day excursion in Sintra and leave without the feeling of having left something in the pipeline, there is mainly one mandatory thing, this is nothing else than visiting everything that makes up the Cultural Landscape of Sintra, these elements give you the unique character of a tale of princes and princesses that the town has. In the first place and as a symbol of the city, the Palácio Nacional da Pena, its towers, its mixture of architectural styles, Manueline, Mudejar, Baroque and Gothic; In addition to its beautiful gardens, you will be captivated without a doubt, on the other hand, the other elements that complete it are the Palácio Nacional de Sintra with its huge chimneys, the Palácio de Monserrate and its eclectic architecture and the Quinta da Regaleira, highlighting its impressive Inverted Tower each and every one is works of art that are worth appreciating.

Outside of the famous cultural landscape of this city, you must visit the Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors), a fortification of the Arab conquest, erected between the 7th and 9th centuries from which you will have incredible views, something wonderful that you will not miss. will forget. This fortification is so well located that they could see the roads that linked this place with Lisbon, Cascais and Mafra.

Taking a walk through the center of the city is another activity that you should not miss, enjoy its streets, its architecture and the magic that surrounds this place while savoring a complaint. Towards the coast, in Cabo da Roca you have the most beautiful sunsets in the world, stopping by this place to see the sunset is one of the best activities to do in Sintra and the perfect ending to your day in the location.

On the way to Sintra, a stop in Queluz is perfect, a two-for-one in the same day, among its main attractions, the most important is the National Palace of Queluz and its gardens, which you will find just 15 minutes by car , an authentic wonder and one of the most representative palaces in Portugal, it will surprise you! The Aqueduto das Águas Livres (Free Waters Aqueduct), a perfect example of what man can do without the machines we have today, a true marvel of 18th century engineering and is one of the unmissable monuments of this location.

What are the best plans to do in Sintra?

What to do in Sintra, Portugal
© Lychee Vanilla

The streets of the town are a luxury to explore, they are very characteristic, narrow, full of cobblestones and most important of all, they manage to transport you to the 19th century. So touring the town will be the first thing you want to do, since its peculiar and so characteristic network of alleys and architecture where styles such as Moorish, romantic and Baroque, among many others, are combined, a mixture that invites you to visit all the points of the village

With a climate as favorable as that of this area, you will want to have a national wine or a beer on one of its terraces, or perhaps go to a pastry shop and try the typical sweets of the town such as travesseiros, puff pastry made with almonds, or some good milk tarts, for example at Casa Piriquita, one of the best pastry shops in the whole town, a moment to enjoy.

Parque da Pena
© PSML Emigus

The Sintra-Cascais Natural Park offers us a huge amount of activities to do, taking a zip line thanks to the elevated areas that allow it. Mountain bike tours where adrenaline and the landscape make this essential and practically unique activity. In the event that you do not know or do not want to ride a bicycle, there are many routes for hiking, where it is also mandatory to have a picnic in the middle of this wonderful natural park where there are hundreds and hundreds of activities to do and wherever you will get bored.

One of the best sunsets in the world, probably that of Cabo da Roca, being the most westerly point of mainland Portugal, the sun is gradually hiding beyond the ocean while the sky is turning orange, a perfect plan.

Guided tours are another possibility, they allow you to know all the secrets, stories and ins and outs of the town, in which there are many things to tell that will make you fall in love.

What is the best date to go to Sintra?

This area of Portugal has a very good climate to go to at any time of the year, although the best months are from May to October since the weather at that time is practically perfect to enjoy all the natural and cultural resources that this wonderful city offers us. town.

The Sintra Music Festival is held between the months of May and September, with no fixed date each year, one of the most historic music festivals in Portugal where the best artists of classical music come together, but the best of this event are the settings, these are some of the most beautiful and representative buildings of the town such as Quinta da Regaleira or the Palácio Nacional de Sintra. If you want to experience this wonderful event, you might be interested in traveling in the month that takes place to experience something almost unique.

The dates from May to October are perfect to visit the beaches in this area, such as Praia da Ursa (Osa Beach) or Praia da Adraga (Adraga Beach), you have to go yes or yes! There are several beautiful beaches in fine sand and rock formations, you cannot leave without visiting one of these beaches and taking a refreshing swim, something that you will appreciate with such pleasant temperatures.

What are the best excursions in Sintra?

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal is just a few kilometers away and has countless activities to do so it seems like a mandatory excursion, in this city, among many other things, you have to see the Torre de Belem (Belem Tower), an old military fortress that has been declared World Heritage Site and it has already become a symbol of the Portuguese capital; the Mosteiro Dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery); Last but not least, the pasteis de Belem (Belem cakes) known all over the world, you cannot leave this city without trying one of those good sweets, made mainly from milk, flour and eggs.

On the other hand, Cascais, a city very close to Sintra and mandatory passage, with beautiful beaches that will make you want to take a refreshing swim. It is generally very common for visitors to see Sintra and Cascais in a whole day as they are very close and getting there is very easy. At the national level, this area of Portugal, such as Oeiras, located between Lisbon and Cascais has great importance for surfing, where the beaches are perfect for this sport. Something that you should not miss if you are a lover of water sports or even if you want to start in it or have a different experience. On the other hand, it is interesting to know that Cascais, since the 19th century, was one of the most elite destinations in all of Europe, where it was very normal for many European royal families to spend their vacations.

From Sintra you can visit many places, each of them will surprise you for one thing or another, in Mafra you can find one of the most beautiful and impressive libraries in the world in the National Palace of Mafra, this importance is due to the possession of books from great value as many of them are unique and only found in this impressive library. One of the parishes of Mafra is Ericeira, which is perfect for surfing and so much so that it has been declared a World Surf Reserve by the Save de Wave organization, which is dedicated to protecting the best places to surf; they are only decorated with 11 beaches around the world.

An hour's drive away is the walled city of Óbidos, the perfect place to learn more about the history of Portugal and its heritage thanks to the Óbidos Castle or strolling through the old streets of the walled town is a luxury. Only 15 minutes from Óbidos you will find Peniche, from this town you can access by boat to the Arquipélago das Berlengas (Berlengas Archipelago), a small group of three islands that has been declared a World Biosphere Reserve, an incredible natural place with several miles of trails and many impressive underwater caves. In these islands you will not get bored due to the large number of activities you can do; dive, warn birds, bathe in its paradisiacal beaches; a paradise a few kilometers from Peniche.

Less than an hour north of Peniche you will find one of the largest shows in the world, more specifically in the town of Nazaré where the largest waves in the world have been recorded, reaching 23 meters! Without a doubt it is a unique show that you must see.

After seeing the biggest waves in the world, it seems necessary to visit Mira de Aire, these are the largest caves in Portugal, where you will discover a hidden world within the earth, an impressive ecosystem. Going to Batalha and seeing the Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória is totally mandatory as it will amaze you with its architecture, which is a mixture of Manueline and late Gothic styles and impressive size. This monastery was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is one of the most emblematic monuments in Portugal, all this makes your visit essential.

Heading south from Sintra you will find the Serra da Arrábida, a beautiful natural setting where you will find some of the most beautiful beaches in all of Portugal with turquoise waters perfect for swimming, as well as an incredibly varied nature and spectacular views and cliffs. At the foot of this mountain range is the small and picturesque fishing village of Sesimbra, this small town has its origin in the Middle Ages and later, during the time of the discoveries, it was an enclave of great importance because it was one of the most important shipbuilding centers throughout the country.

In this town you should not miss its gastronomy, based mainly on marine products, its beaches and its monuments such as the Castelo de Sesimbra (Sesimbra Castle), erected in the 9th century during the Arab occupation. One of the best preserved castles in the country and it watches over the village from the top of an impressive cliff, which makes it even more impressive.

A little further south, half an hour from Sesimbra by car, you will find the fishing town of Setúbal. With a spectacular climate, walking through its old town or its promenade is wonderful, among many other things you also have to visit the Castelo de São Felipe (Castillo San Felipe), which was built in the 14th century, a modern fortification erected to control the entire area from the privileged location it has on top of a nearby hill, on the other hand, in that castle you will find a bar to have a refreshing drink enjoying the views and a chapel completely decorated with tiles, something very eye-catching that you will love. You cannot leave Setúbal without taking a ferry to the Troia peninsula, a paradisiacal place with miles of fine white sand beaches to swim, without a doubt, one of the best beaches in Portugal.

How to get to Sintra?

It is very easy to get to Sintra due to its proximity to Lisbon, this city being the capital of Portugal has an airport, the Humberto Delgado airport, with many connections with a large number of countries and cities, such as Munich, Edinburgh, London, Prague or Dublin. Once in Lisbon you can access the town of Sintra by car or by public transport, in this case, you only have to take the metro to Oriente station and from there take the Linha de Sintra (Sintra Line) of the train until you arrive at your destination.

Other possibilities are access through the airports of Faro, in the south of the country and the third most important airport in Portugal, or the Francisco Sá Carneiro airport in Porto, both are at a practically similar distance, by car with the good connections that exist in Portugal. You will easily get to your destination, enjoying the beautiful landscapes that this country offers us.

From Cascais, which is very close and is a city quite visited in the country for its great attractions, you can get there very easily by car, or by public transport by taking bus number 417 at the Cascais bus terminal, arriving in Sintra in the blink of an eye.

It is very common to take organized trips to Lisbon where they include the town of Sintra and Cascais in their itinerary, so it can be very comfortable if what you are looking for is to create an itinerary with all the most important activities in that area of Portugal.

Where to stay in Sintra?

The town offers you a wide range of accommodation, so there is no problem with finding a place to sleep. You will find different hotels in different categories and with different characteristics. Very close to the center, you will find the Sintra Boutique Hotel, this is a very small and cozy 4-star hotel, as true boutique hotels have to be, you feel in luxurious accommodation in the heart of the town of Sintra.

If you have always dreamed of sleeping in a palace and feeling like a princess or a prince, at the Sintra Marmòris Palace you have the opportunity, a 19th century palace adapted to offer accommodation, since 2017, the luxury of this palace will not leave you indifferent, only 7 minutes from downtown.

You probably want to enjoy a stay in an exuberant typical house in Sintra, the Chalet Saudade offers you to make it come true, which is a 19th century chalet in which you will travel to the past, this building is about 200 years old, but it is carefully restored and offers a unique stay in a traditional chalet with a garden to enjoy the good climate of the area.

At Quinta das Murtas you will be in full contact with nature during your stay, this accommodation has a very rural atmosphere, it is a farm with a pool and many green areas to enjoy your stay in Sintra, in addition to relaxing in a different and special environment.

The area is well known for having several 5-star hotels, Lawrences Hotel, offers you accommodation with a very rural touch in an old typical house very well remodeled. On the other hand, you have Penha Longa Resort, Vila Gale Sintra where you can disconnect in the most luxurious hotels in the town, these complexes have a spa and the best amenities, a golf course, several swimming pools and a gym.

Recommended Excursions:

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Other worth-visiting nearby towns and cities:

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