SINTRA – TIPS TO THE MOST MAGICAL CITY IN PORTUGAL
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Sintra is definitely one of the most popular and magnificent places to visit in all of Portugal, and in addition to the idyllic village itself, its attractions consist of as many as seven different castles and palaces with their own parks and gardens. The most beautiful and at the same time the most famous gem of Sintra is, of course, the magnificent Palacio da Pena, or Pena Palace, which stands high on the top of the mountain and offers the most magical views down to the greenery of the park and the beautiful village of Sintra with all its cafés and shops.
I have already visited Sintra several times to see the different palaces and to enjoy the pleasant atmosphere of the village with good food and a hot cup of coffee, or even a sweet mojito. Sintra is just over an hour’s train ride from central Lisbon and is easy and hassle-free to travel to. You can hop on a train to Sintra from the train stations of Rossio, Entrecampos or Sete Rios in the city center, and the LISBOA CARD * is definitely the best option for tourists. With the Lisboa Card you get great offers and free entries to different sights in Lisbon and you can use the public transportation including the metro, bus, tram and train to Sintra, Cascais and other surrounding areas as much as you want and need, all included in the card.
Pre-tailored tours of Sintra are also available, with great guides that also provide wider range of tours to the rest of Sintra’s surrounding area, starting from the wonderful fishing village of Cascais to the magnificent cliffs of Cabo da Roca.
SINTRA, THE MAGICAL UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Sintra is a well-known UNESCO World Heritage Site and its magical atmosphere attracts visitors from all over the world. Sintra is perfect for everyone from backpackers, tourist groups, friends, solo travellers, the culture-hungry, nature lovers and couples on a romantic trip. Only one day is enough to visit Sintra, if one day is the only thing in your schedule to give space to this beautiful place. In this case, the Pena Palace is a must with its beautiful garden area. The village of Sintra is full of lovely cafes and places to have lunch, so you don’t have to spend a day feeling hungry.
While one day is definitely enough for Sintra if you want it to be, it is worth remembering that in addition to Pena Palace, there are still six other castles and palaces in Sintra that are also well worth a visit and unfortunately you won’t have time to go through everything in one day no matter how hard you try (trust me, I speak from experience).
Here’s a list of Sintra’s best attractions and tips for you to easily pick up your favorites for your own amazing Sintra trip:
PALACIO DA PENA – PENA PALACE
Pena Palace is located high on the top of the mountain in Sintra and offers the most beautiful views down over the valley, its lush nature and the village of Sintra with all its surroundings. This is also Sintra’s most popular attraction and at the same time an absolute must-see destination if time in Sintra is limited. Both inside and out, the charming Pena Palace was built in the 19th century in a romantic Roman architectural style and its color and splendor can be seen from afar. The palace is surrounded by an interesting park of about 200 hectares, where you can take a relaxing walk in the heart of nature or get a good workout in the form of a longer uphill run if you wish (or sometimes accidentally, as I have).
Now during the corona, it has been a pleasure to enjoy this attraction quite peacefully and without crowds, but at least before the restrictions, the destination has been really crowded and it is best to take this in consideration while planning your own visit. To avoid long queues at the ticket office, you can conveniently get your admission in advance online:
PENA PALACE & NATIONAL PARK OF PENA ENTRANCE TICKET
QUINTA DA REGALEIRA
Quinta da Regaleira is certainly the most popular place to visit in Sintra after Pena Palace, and I don’t wonder why. This place is like stepping into a kind of fairytale world full of caves, ponds, nature and massive old trees, large wells that reach deep underground and, of course, the romantic palace of Quinta da Regaleira and the chapel. It’s easy to spend time here twice as much as Pena palace, so I don’t recommend these two for the same day, or if you absolutely want to do so, nothing else will surely fit in the day.
In addition to Pena, Quinta da Regaleira is my own favorite of Sintra’s sights and I surely have to go back there again, because on the first time, unfortunately, we didn’t even get inside the palace after walking all around the garden area and it was already quite late, so we didn’t have time to see the most popular underground well either. However, we got to enjoy the enchantment of the park in the warmth of the sunshine and we just happened to be there right during the rehearsals of an Italian opera, so I can’t really complain about that, can I?
To make your day in Sintra easier, you can also choose a guided tour to my favourite destinations, Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira!
SINTRA, PENA PALACE & QUINTA DA REGALEIRA GUIDED TOUR
CASTELO DOS MOUROS – CASTLE OF THE MOORS
In addition to the above, Castelo dos Mouros is also one of the most popular destinations in Sintra. Built in the 700s and 800s, this high-walled fort once again offers magnificent views of the village of Sintra and the surrounding nature, as well as, of course, great views towards the Pena Palace.
SINTRA NATIONAL PALACE
Sintra National Palace is the oldest palace in Portugal. It is located right in the old town of the village of Sintra and the white chimneys of the palace can be seen all the way to the train station. As a destination, this is easy and fairly quick due to its central location and the inside is very beautiful and worth the experience.
MONSERRATE PALACE
Palácio de Monserrate is a palace/villa that beautifully combines both Arabic and Gothic architecture and is surrounded by a very magnificent garden with its large aloe plants. The palace of Monserrate is not as big an attraction as the other sites maybe, but I myself really liked this and especially the garden, so I can warmly recommend visiting here too if there is enough time.
HOW TO GET AROUND IN SINTRA?
Of course, walking in and around Sintra is possible and also nice, but the distances are quite long and the differences in altitude can surprise a first-timer. If you arrive in Sintra by train, you can conveniently grab a taxi or a tuktuk in front of the train station, but I would recommend the cheapest option myself: a bus. The bus, which passes through all the palaces and sights, runs right next to the train station and takes you around Sintra in a hop-on-hop-off style. It is very easy and simple to go around with the bus and you will not have to pay too much for one way taxi rides at least. However, if a taxi is more your style, I recommend downloading the locally-favored Bolt app, which provides by far the cheapest taxi rides.
Take advantage of my discount code “TIINALKQ” and get 5€ discount from your first Bolt ride!
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HAVE YOU ALREADY BEEN TO SINTRA? WHAT PLACES DID YOU VISIT? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES BELOW IN THE COMMENTS! 🙂
<3: Tiina Johanna
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