Deep in the misty Serra mountains lies the enchanting city of Sintra, home to ancient castles, fairy-tale palaces, and verdant gardens. For centuries, sultans, kings, and wealthy noblemen were drawn by the area’s haunting beauty, and they left a trail of opulence and grandeur behind them. Today, Sintra is Portugal’s dreamland. Tourists from around the world explore the mysterious city, eager to absorb every detail and uncover every secret.
Situated in the mountains 25km northwest of Lisboa and 12km north of Cascais, Sintra has three main neighborhoods. Excursions to the area by bus or train begin in the modern Estefânia, where several banks and budget accommodations can be found. São Pedro de Sintra, farther uphill, has more shops and municipal offices. Sintra, famous for its heart, Sintra-Vila, better known as the Historic Center and home to most of the town’s fantastic sights. The 15min. walk from Estefânia is scattered with statues and fountains like bread crumbs for sight-hungry tourists. To get to the Historic Center, take a left out of the train station onto Av. Dr. M. Bombarda and follow it for 150m. At the intersection, take the curving road to the left, Volta do Duche, which passes the Parque da Liberdade and leads to the edge of the Historic Center, where shops begin to appear again. Stay to the right, and the Palácio Nacional de Sintra should be visible on the right. The tourist office is straight ahead. Sintra is navigable by foot, but a few sights lie outside (and uphill from) the town center. The ScottURB bus #434 sells day tickets to most of these sights (€4). Pay on the bus, which departs from in front of the main train station (every 15min. 9:35am-7:05pm) and stops in the Historic Centre. From there, the bus will head to the Castelo dos Mouros and then Palácio da Pena. On the way back down the mountain, the bus stops in front of the Museu Brinquedo (Toy Museum).
In Sintra, you can stay at the oldest hotel in Iberia or in an 19th-century palace, but grandeur is matched by price. Most hotels in Sintra are more expensive than in nearby towns or Lisboa, a 45min. train ride away. For those on a budget, the central tourist office has a list of private accommodations, but prices are similar to the residenciais (singles €25-60; doubles €40-70).
Pastelarias and restaurants crowd the end of Rua João de Deus and Avenida Heliodoro Salgado. In the old town, Rua das Padarias (near the Palácio Nacional ) is lined with lunch spots. On the second and fourth Sundays of every month, take bus #433 from the train station to São Pedro (15min.) for the Feira de São Pedro, which features local cuisine, music, clothes, flowers, and antiques.
Quinta Da Regaleira. A UNESCO World Heritage sight, this turret-studded palace was built in the early 1900s by Brazilian Antonio Monteira and flamboyant Italian architect Luigi Manini. Quinta’s gardens, wells, grottoes, and towers form one of the oldest occult gardens of Europe, a true dreamland in fairy tale Sintra. Its design follows mythological and historical themes, rendered in a fascinating amalgam of Manueline (Portuguese late-Gothic) and Renaissance styles. The Poço Iniciatico (Initiation Well) was inspired by the secret rituals performed by the famous Knights Templar. Beneath the castle you can explore a fantastic tunnel system. (To get to the Quinta da Regaleira, turn right out of the tourist office and follow R. Consiglieri Pedroso as it turns into Rua M. E. F. Navarro, a 15min. walk. ☎219 10 66 50. Open daily Oct. and Feb.-Apr. 10am-6:30pm, last entrance 6pm; Apr.-Sept. 10am-8pm, last entrance 7pm; Nov.-Jan. 10am-5:30pm, last entrance 5pm. Unguided visits €6, students and seniors €4. Guided tours at 10:30, 11am, noon, 2:30, 3:30pm; €10, students and seniors €8.)
Palácio Da Pena. Built in the 1840s by Prince Ferdinand of Bavaria, husband of Portugal’s Dona Maria II, this royal retreat embraces romantic and fantastic styles with meticulous detail. The prince, nostalgic for his native country, rebuilt and embellished the ruined monastery with the assistance of a Prussian engineer, combining the artistic heritages of Germany and Portugal. The result is magical: a colorful Bavarian castle decorated with Arabic minarets, Gothic turrets, Manueline windows, and a Renaissance dome. (Bus #434 runs to the palace from outside the tourist office every 15min. All-day bus pass €4. ☎219 10 53 40; www.parquesdesintra.pt. The area surrounding the palace, Parque da Pena, is open daily June-Aug. 9:30am-8pm, Sept.-May 9am-7pm. €7.50, children and seniors €5.50. Palacio admission Sept.-Apr. €8, children and seniors €6. May-Aug. €11, children and seniors €9. Open daily 9:45 am-5:30pm. Tickets for both attractions are sold until 1hr. before closing. Guided tours in English, Portuguese, and Spanish; €5, €3.50 per person for groups of 10 or more.)
Castelo Dos Mouros. Built in the 8th century by the Moors, this ancient castle rests on the slopes of the Serra mountains. It was abandoned during the Moorish retreat to the south in 1147, but Dom Fernando II made some much-needed repairs in the 19th century. On a clear day, a long, steep climb up the walls will be rewarded with unmatched views of the Ribatejo plains and the clashing natural rock formations and manmade walls. (1km below the Palácio da Pena. Bus #434 departs from outside the tourist office and stops at the castle. All-day bus pass €4. ☎219 23 73 00; www.parquesdasintra.pt. Open daily June-Sept. 9am-8pm, last entrance 7pm; Oct.-May 10am-6pm, last entrance 5pm. €5, seniors and under 17 €3, family price for 2 children and 2 adults €12. Guided tours €5, €3.50 per person for groups of 10 or more.)
Monserrate. Located 4km from the center of Sintra, Monserrate is well worth a visit for those staying in town for more than a day. This sprawling estate is known for its quiet botanical gardens shaded by towering sequoias and tropical ferns. The garden has more than 3500 species of plants, and its lawn is watered by the oldest irrigation system in Portugal. The Moghul-style mansion, with its burnt-orange roof modeled on Brunelleschi’s Dome in Florence, is a classic example of Portuguese Romanticism. Designed by the English architect John T. Knowles in 1858, the estate became a refuge for eccentric English aristocrat William Beckford following scandals regarding his homosexual affairs. (To get to Monserrate, catch the small green train/roofless bus line, Linha de Monserrate, ☎214 66 26 03, beside the Palácio Nacional in Pr. da República. 20 min., every hr., €6 round trip. Monserrate ☎219 23 73 00 or 10 78 06. Open daily summer 10am-1pm, 2pm-7pm; winter 10:30am-1pm, 2pm-5pm. Last entrance 30min. before closing. €5, children and seniors €3, families of 2 adults and 2 children €12. Guided tours €5, €3.50 for groups of 10 or more.)
Palácio Nacional De Sintra. The palace, also known as the Paço Real or Palácio da Vila, dominates Pr. da República. Once a summer residence for Moorish sultans and their harems, the Palácio da Vila was taken over by the Portuguese following the Muslim defeat. The conquest is illustrated in the paintings of Portuguese noblemen gunning down Moorish soldiers. The palace and gardens were built in two stages: Dom João I built the main structure in the 15th century, and Dom Manuel I made it home to the best collection of azulejos (glazed tiles) in the world a century later. The palace has over 20 rooms, including the azulejo -covered Sala dos Árabes and the gilded Sala dos Brasões. Some of the palace’s greatest treasures are overhead: look up at the ceiling to see the royal coat of arms surrounded by the armorial bearings of 72 noble families, elaborately painted animals, and various other artistic flourishes. The palace is marked by a bird theme: doves symbolizing the Holy Spirit line the walls of the Capela, swans grace the Sala dos Cisnes, and on the ceiling of the Sala das Pegas magpies representing ladies-in-waiting hold a piece of paper proclaiming D. João I’s motto— “por bem,” or “for good.” (Lg. da Rainha Dona Amélia. ☎219 10 68 40; www.ippar.pt. Open M-Tu and Th-Su 10am-5:30pm. Last entrance 5pm. €5, seniors and students €2.50; Su and holidays before 2pm free.)
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