adminVisiting Sintra is an experience not to be missed when travelling in Portugal. And with many reasons for that. A short distance from Lisbon, the capital, and with a Cultural Landscape distinguished by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1995, Sintra displays fairytale palaces, extravagant villas, a mountain of lush vegetation and an enigmatic castle that dominates the horizon. The enchanted village of Sintra has also restaurants where you can taste traditional Portuguese, or international gourmet food, and romantic alleys where you can get lost.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Sintra, the romantic village
Sintra has long been an attraction for those who live in and around Lisbon. In particular, Portuguese elites and the ruling class used to flee the heat of Lisbon and take refuge in the shadows and vegetation of Sintra. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the romantic spirit of famous foreign visitors (such as Byron and Sir Francis Cook) and of the Portuguese aristocracy discovered the exoticism and mysticism of Sintra’s landscape. Some of its most emblematic buildings date from this time, such as the famous Pena Palace.
Visiting Sintra these days
Today, Sintra has conquered its place as one of the main tourist destinations in Portugal and, for better or for worse, this has consequences for the environment and quality of life in the town which has refused to be elevated to the category of city, despite of being the seat of the second most populous municipality in Portugal. Of those who visit Sintra, many are those who arrive and depart in a single day, coming from Lisbon. During the day, the streets and monuments of Sintra fill up with visitors, but at night it is given back to its inhabitants and transforms again into a small village with its own rhythm.
In order to experience Sintra more slowly and deeply, we recommend visiting for at least two days. There’s plenty to see and do, and you’ll be able to soak up some of the atmosphere and mystique of the village and its surroundings. Below, we will present our proposed itinerary to explore when visiting Sintra.
PRACTICAL TIPS TO VISIT SINTRA
In order to enjoy Sintra to the fullest, you should plan your visit in advance. For that, we leave here our practical tips for visiting Sintra.
1. When to visit Sintra
The climate in Lisbon area and in Sintra is Mediterranean with oceanic influence, making the temperatures mild most of the year. Summers in Sintra are hot and dry and mostly clear, while winters in Sintra are cold and wet. During the whole year, in general the temperature is rarely below 5°C or above 32°C. The best time of year to visit Sintra is from May to October, but you will find that Sintra has its own charms at all times of the year. Outside this time you will avoid the crowds in Sintra, which is great!
For more information about the weather in Portugal, don’t forget to check out our “Plan your trip”.
2. How to get to Sintra from Lisbon
Sintra is located about 30 km from Lisbon. You can reach Sintra easily, by car or by train, from Lisbon.
2.1. Visit Sintra by car
By own car or by rented car, you can reach Sintra in about half an hour (depending on traffic), using highways. Leaving Lisbon on the A5, you will then have two alternatives: the CREL/A9 and then the A16/IC16, or the N117 and then the A37/IC19. In Sintra, however, traffic is intense, especially in the summer, and parking spaces are difficult to find.
If you don’t have a car, you can rent a car in Portugal through this link.
2.2. Visit Sintra by train
The train is the most comfortable and cheapest option to visit Sintra. The CP Sintra Line connects Lisbon to Sintra in about 45 minutes. There are actually two connection options.
- One is the Oriente – Sintra connection. You can board at Oriente Station, and the connection is direct. You can also board at Santa Apolonia (Azambuja Line), but you will have to change at the “Braço de Prata” stop.
- Another option is the Rossio – Sintra connection. Board at Rossio Station and the connection is direct. A return ticket to Sintra (including the rechargeable card) costs €5 per person.
Here you can consult the network of urban train lines that serve Lisbon and its surroundings.
Here you can check the timetables of the Sintra line and other urban trains in Lisbon.
Here you can check the prices of Lisbon urban train tickets.
2.3. Visit Sintra using combo tickets
If you are going to use the train or other public transport to visit Sintra, it is probably worth buying a combined ticket when visiting Sintra.
- 24h ticket Carris/Metro/CP – Traveling all Lisbon including Sintra
It is an integrated ticket between CP and Lisbon Transportation. You can travel, without restrictions, for 24 hours, on buses, elevators, trams, elevators, metro and trains (Lisbon Urban, Sintra/Azambuja, Cascais and Sado Lines).
It is an integrated ticket between CP, Scotturb, Parques de Sintra and the City Hall. This ticket includes Tours on the Sintra Line, Pena circuit (route 434) and tickets to the Pena Park and Palace, Sintra Palace and a museum of your choice (closed on Mondays).
3. How long do you need to visit Sintra
The ideal way to visit Sintra is to spend the night in the village and dedicate two full days to it. Furthermore, if you have a car and/or time, you can also explore the surroundings and explore the coast, namely Cabo da Roca, Azenhas do Mar, Praia da Ursa or Guincho. However, if you don’t have time, you can visit the most emblematic places in the village of Sintra, independently, in just one day. To do so, make the first of our itinerary and add only Quinta da Regaleira before heading to Pena Palace.
4. How to get around in Sintra
Sintra’s attractions are spread over an extensive area and with considerable differences in level, so, although within the town you can walk, outside the center you will have to travel in another way (or rather enjoy walking).
- The cheapest option is to use the urban bus network, provided by the company Scotturb, which also serves Cascais and Estoril. The most useful route is the 434 – Circuito da Pena, and is included in the Sintra Green Card. The price for career 434 – Pena Hop-on Hop-off Circuit is €6.90/person (including rechargeable card).
You can check all available routes and prices of the Sintra urban bus network here.
- If you want to try something different, there are many other options for getting around when visiting Sintra. If you have an extra day in Sintra and want to explore the village and its surroundings in a different way, there are also several options for you:
5. Where to sleep in Sintra
The ideal way to discover Sintra is to sleep at least one night in the beautiful Portuguese village or, if you have a car, in the mountains, so that you may enjoy the best that Sintra has to offer. If you choose to sleep in Sintra, our recommendations are:
- If you are looking for a hotel with good value for money: Chalet Saudade
- If you are looking for a hotel with luxury and glamour: Tivoli Palacio de Seteais – The Leading Hotels of the World
- If you are traveling alone and looking for a bed in a hostel dorm: Moon Hill Hostel
- If you are looking for a cheap hotel: Sintra Bliss Hotel
- If you are looking for a mid-range hotel: Storytellers Villas
- If you are looking for rural accommodation: Glamping Sintra
Check out our “Plan your trip” to know more about accommodation options in Portugal and how to book.
6. How to visit Sintra on tour from Lisbon
If you want to visit Sintra from Lisbon (which can be an excellent option for those who don’t have time to sleep in Sintra), you can do it on tour.
Book here your 1-Day Sintra Highlights Tour from Lisbon.
Leaving Lisbon, you can combine an excursion to Sintra with other cities or places.
Book here your Sintra, Cascais and Cabo da Roca Tour from Lisbon.
7. How to get travel insurance in Portugal
Travel insurance is more important than ever for a trip without worries, even when the trip does not involve any particularly dangerous activities. Like Portuguese people use to say “You don’t play with health!”.
You can buy your travel insurance for the trip to Portugal through this link.
8. Using bank cards in Portugal
Portugal is integrated into the international banking system, so using debit or credit cards will not be a problem in handling money in Portugal. With your debit or credit card, you can make payments at any store or commercial establishment, as well as withdraw euros in ATMs, which are widely available, the national network being called Multibanco. You can also find international networks of ATMs, but be careful with the conversion and transaction fees that are applied.
When we travel abroad, we use the Wise debit Mastercard®. The borderless Wise account comes with a debit card and allows you to spend anywhere in the world at the real exchange rate. You will receive low conversion rates, free ATM withdrawals of up to £ 200 per month and zero transaction fees. You can create your Wise multi-currency account here and get your Wise debit card.
ITINERARY FOR TWO DAYS TO VISIT SINTRA
Sintra is visited daily by thousands of tourists, and the crowds dominate some spaces, especially in the summer. It is highly recommended to purchase entrance tickets to the monuments you want to visit in advance online. Otherwise, prepare to waste time (and patience) in long lines. In our proposed itinerary for two days in Sintra (see below), you will find the links to purchase these tickets in advance.
1st day of itinerary to visit Sintra
This 1st day of itinerary to visit Sintra is dedicated to Sintra’s highlights, Pena Palace and Gardens, and the Moorish Castle, as well as taking the time to stroll in town.
1. Visit the Pena Palace in Sintra
Start the day by avoiding the crowds and visiting Pena Palace first thing in the morning. Pena Palace was the first romantic palace in Europe, built around 30 years before the emblematic Schloss Neuschwanstein, in Bavaria, after the purchase by King Fernando II of the Monastery of Nossa Senhora da Pena, from the Order of S. Gerónimo. D. Fernando II, husband of Queen D. Maria II, was a lover of the arts and nature. His lifelong dream, to build Pena Palace, was completed the year he died, in 1885.
Buy your ticket here to visit Pena Palace and Pena Park without the queue.
In the greatest exponent of Romanticism in Portugal, stand out the Entrance Arch, with turrets and battlements and the coat of arms of King Fernando II, the figure of the Triton in the allegorical portico of the creation of the world, the Deer Room (Sala dos Veados), and the Great Hall, with clear Arab influences. The beautiful Manueline cloister, decorated with tiles, and the chapel, with an alabaster altarpiece from the 16th century, were part of the former monastery and are an asset that adds to the artistic value of the Pena Palace.
Don’t miss the views from Terraço da Rainha, from where you have the best global perspective of the Palace.
2. Explore the Pena Park Gardens
The Pena Palace is surrounded by the Pena Park, with an extensive forest area that occupies about 85 hectares, constituting a natural environment of rare beauty. Its diverse and luxuriant vegetation has made it a unique case of bio-conservation in Europe. Exploring this park is one of the activities not to be missed when visiting Sintra. There are numerous paths and beautiful walks with bridges, caves, sculptures, lakes and fountains.
Follow the trail that takes you to Cruz Alta, carved in stone at the highest point of the Serra de Sintra, and from where you have privileged views of the sea and the Pena Palace. On your way down, don’t miss the opportunity to visit Gruta do Monge and Alto de Santa Catarina, the favorite viewpoint of Queen D. Amélia (wife of King D. Carlos I) with fabulous views over the Pena Palace.
Be sure to visit Vale dos Lagos, where the Park’s main watercourse flows, and Chalet da Condessa d’Edla, built by King Fernando II and his wife, Countess d’Edla, inspired by Alpine chalets. The Park has three entrances, the main entrance (next to Pena Palace), the entrance to the lakes, and the entrance to the chalet. You can enter through one and exit through the other.
3. Visit the Moorish Castle in Sintra
The Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle) is one of the best examples of military architecture in Portugal, imposingly dominating the town. Although its historical origins are the subject of discussion (with those who defend its relationship with the Visigoth presence), most historians point to the Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula (hence, of course, its name), being the foundation of the fortress in the 8th or 9th century.
Conquered from the Moors by D. Afonso Henriques in 1147, and located in one of the highest points of the Sintra mountain range, on granite outcrops, it has an aura of impregnability and a mystique that permeates each of its stones. Rebuilt in the 19th century by King Fernando II and in the 20th century during the Estado Novo, it became a tourist attraction. Don’t miss the Royal Tower, from where you have fabulous views of Pena Palace. Enter the Cisterna, a water source inside the castle, and be sure to visit the Interpretation Center for the History of Castelo dos Mouros.
Here you can consult a map of the Panoramic View of Sintra and the Moorish Castle itself.
4. Do hiking trails in Sintra
If you have time, be sure to explore the village on foot, the perfect way to enjoy nature and the beauty of the landscape. Even if you don’t do everything on foot (for that you would need more time than you probably have available), one of the experiences not to be missed when visiting Sintra is taking one of its hiking trails.
Here you can consult detailed information about the walking routes in Sintra.
2nd Day of Itinerary to visit Sintra
On the second day in Sintra, lose yourself in the palaces of the most romantic city in Portugal.
1. Visit the Municipality of Sintra
Start the day by visiting Largo Dr. Virgílio Horta, and admiring the City Hall building, built between 1906 and 1909 on the site of the former São Sebastião chapel.
2. Visit Sintra National Palace
The National Palace of Sintra is the oldest Portuguese Royal Palace to have survived. Originally, it served as a dwelling for Moorish rulers and, after 1147, for Christian kings. It underwent reconstructions and additions over the centuries, particularly by the kings D. Dinis, D. João I and D. Manuel I, presenting characteristics of medieval, Gothic, Manueline, Renaissance and Romantic architecture. It is dominated by two large twin chimneys and was used by the Portuguese Royal Family practically until the end of the Monarchy, in 1910, the year in which it was classified as a National Monument. Highlights include the Hall of Coats of Arms, with tiles, and the Sala dos Cisnes (Swan Room), a former banqueting room.
3. Stroll in the historic center of Sintra
Of medieval origin, but rebuilt after the great earthquake of 1755, the historic center includes “Vila Velha” (Old Town), one of the nuclei that make up the urban agglomeration of Sintra, together with Estefânia and São Pedro, and spreads out at the foot of the Serra, with sloping streets and stairs.
One of the highlights of a visit to Sintra is getting lost in the alleys of the historic centre. Let yourself be surprised by the historic design of the buildings, the small squares, the friendliness of its people, the shops that sell everything a tourist could want and the quality of its restaurants. Be sure to enter a pastry shop and taste the famous queijadas and pillows, traditional sweets from the region.
4. Visit the Quinta da Regaleira
Visiting Quinta da Regaleira will certainly be one of the highlights when visiting Sintra. Fruit of the philosophical and initiatory interests of António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro (and, of course, the fact of being the heir to a huge family fortune) and the genius of the architect Luigi Manini, Quinta da Regaleira is full of symbols and metaphors, shaped in creations of stone that dot its vast area.
In the palace that was the family’s summer residence, built in neo-Manueline style, the Sala da Caça (Hunting Room) and the Sala da Renascença (Renaissance Room) stand out.
On the grounds of Quinta de Regaleira you can enjoy the beauty of the Neo-Manueline Chapel, and the enigmatic magic of the Initiatic Well, with about 27m deep and a spiral staircase.
Another highlight of a visit to Quinta da Regaleira is exploring the underground routes, in a true journey from darkness to light.
5. Sleep at the Seteais Palace
The Palácio de Seteais was built in the 18th century for a Dutch consul who had been granted a monopoly on diamond exports by the Marquis of Pombal. It was acquired by the Portuguese State in 1946, and is converted into a luxury hotel, as it remains today.
6. Visit the Monserrate Palace in Sintra
The Palace of Monserrate was built in 1858 by order of Sir Francis Cook, English millionaire in the textile trade and 1st Viscount of Monserrate, destined for the family’s summer home. Its romantic gardens house a varied botanical collection with species from all over the world and are worth a longer visit. One of the famous visitors to the Palace of Monserrate was Lord Byron, an Anglo-Scottish poet and a major figure in Romanticism. The Palace was acquired by the Portuguese State in 1949.
Here you can download the map of Monserrate Palace and Monserrate Park.
7. Visit the Convent of the Capuchos
The Convento dos Capuchos was built in 1560 by D. Álvaro de Castro, State Councilor to D. Sebastião. The Convent of Santa Cruz dos Capuchos was abandoned in 1834 (with the extinction of the religious orders) and, in the 19th century, it was acquired by Francis Cook, 1st Viscount of Monserrate. In 1949, it was acquired by the Portuguese State. Its origins in the ideas of “Franciscan poverty” and the abandonment over the last (almost) two centuries mean that it has reached the present day in a poor state of conservation.
Here you can download the map of the Convento dos Capuchos and the Botanical Route.
WHAT TO DO NEAR SINTRA
1. Visit Cabo da Roca
Be sure to visit Cabo da Roca, a geographic landmark inserted in the Natural Park of Sintra-Cascais. Described by Luís de Camões as the place “where the land ends and the sea begins” (“Os Lusíadas”, Canto III), Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point of continental Europe and is located 140 meters above the sea level.
2. Enjoy Ursa Beach
A short distance from Cabo da Roca, Ursa (Mother Bear) Beach is the westernmost beach in continental Europe, dominated by the huge rocks (farilhões) of Ursa and Gigante. It was once considered one of the most beautiful in the world, but access is not easy and must be done with care, proper footwear and water.
3. Windsurf at Guincho Beach
Guincho Beach has extensive sand and it is very windy, being famous for the practice of surfing, kitesurfing and windsurfing, as well as the scene of one of the films of the James Bond saga (1969).
4. Visit Queluz National Palace and Gardens
The National Palace of Queluz, also known as the Royal Palace of Queluz, in rococo style, was built in 1747 for D. Pedro de Bragança. Despite the due differences, it is also known by the name of “Portuguese Versailles”. After a serious fire in 1934, which destroyed the interior, it was extensively restored.
Here you can download the map of Queluz National Palace and Queluz Gardens.
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