Sintra
Introduction
Sintra is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, set on the Portuguese Riviera. It is one of the country's most urbanized and densely populated municipalities, and its historic palaces, castles, scenic beaches, parks and gardens have made it a major tourist destination famed for its picturesqueness.
Before you go
Sintra sits in a mountain range roughly 28 km north-west of Lisbon and about 9 km inland from the Atlantic, so expect a hill town rather than a flat city — the sights are spread across slopes and summits, and getting between them takes planning. The name shares its root with the English word "sun", and the place has been inhabited since the Paleolithic; it later formed part of Al-Andalus, and the Moorish mountain-top fortification that became the Castle of the Moors held out until 1147, surrendering to crusader troops a month after Lisbon fell.
Because the town grew into a summer residence for Portuguese rulers and, later, a stop on the Grand Tour, its character is defined by palaces and wooded hills rather than a single centre. The Moors' downhill residential palace, Sintra Palace, became the royal summer residence and was expanded repeatedly, while Pena Palace was built in the 19th century from a former Hieronymite monastery. The palaces were nationalized and opened to the public after the 1910 republican revolution, and they now draw a steady stream of visitors. Queluz, a civil parish of the municipality, is covered in its own separate article.
Getting there
Sintra is easily reached by train from Lisbon, with frequent CP commuter services running from several Lisbon stations, including Santa Apolónia, Oriente, Campolide and Rossio. Trains leave Rossio every twenty minutes, while the Oriente line runs every ten. Lisbon's Viva Viagem cards are valid for the journey, and you can buy a round-trip ticket; if you don't already have a card, be aware that the ticket counters at Rossio can draw enormous queues, especially mid-morning. Ticket machines may be quicker, though many accept coins only and can be slow if you're unfamiliar with them. Ask for a ticket covering two trips, one for the outward and one for the return journey, and remember to validate it at the checkpoint before boarding the return train. Keep the used ticket, as you can recharge it for other trips in and around Lisbon. From the station, the town proper is a 10-minute walk, but you can also catch city buses from the small stop directly on your right as you leave. These are the same buses that run circular routes to all the tourist sites and offer tickets valid for the whole day, so you will likely be buying one of their tickets anyway. Cycling is another option for a day out if you are fit and have some experience. If you are based in Lisbon, you can book a tour or rent a bike there, take the commuter train from Rossio, explore Sintra and the nature reserve, and finish in Cascais before taking a train back to Cais do Sodré, where you can return your bicycle. Bicycles travel free on the trains every day of the week. Companies operating from Lisbon include Bike Iberia, based in Lisbon downtown just off the Cais do Sodré train station; Cycling Rentals, a Sintra-based company offering rentals and guided or self-guided road and mountain bike day trips, with delivery to hotels across the Lisbon and Sintra area; and Ericeira Bike, which runs guided mountain bike tours in Sintra and an Ericeira to Cabo da Roca ride across the Sintra Natural Park coastline.Getting around
For most visitors, the public bus routes are the simplest way to reach the major sights. The routes are one-way and circular, with a stop in front of each of the main attractions, so plan the order in which you see them accordingly. A single ticket covers a full day on that route, and all buses stop directly at the train station, just to the right as you exit, so you can catch one immediately on arrival. Of the several circular routes, the 434 and 435 are likely to be of most interest: the 434 runs from the train station through the city centre to the Moorish Castle and Pena Castle before returning, while the 435 runs from the train station through the city centre to Regaleira Palace, Seteais Palace and Monserrate Palace before returning. Note that the "Linha Monserrate" picking up passengers in front of the Palácio Nacional de Sintra is only a sightseeing bus and does not deliver you to Monserrate. A 24-hour ticket covers both the 434 and 435, giving you access to all the main attractions, and buses generally run about every 20 minutes; you can buy tickets on board at any stop. Larger hop-on/hop-off buses also operate, but at a significantly higher price with no clear advantage over the cheaper public equivalents. To reach Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe, take the Scotturb 403 bus in the direction of Cascais, a journey of about 40 minutes. If you are travelling as a family or group, it is worth checking the price of a rideshare, which can work out cheaper than the bus.
The 434 bus is usually completely full by the time it reaches the historic centre, so tuktuks are freely available to take you up the mountain to the fort or to Pena — ask to be dropped at the high entrance if you are going to Pena, then walk back down the hiking trail that begins at the far end of the Pena car park. Driving is not recommended: parking is abysmal, the roads are narrow and winding, and on a holiday weekend the town can be absolutely packed with cars and people. If you must drive, park in one of the several lots below the town centre and walk up. Walking is a good option if you are fit and only want to visit the Moorish Castle and Pena Castle — the 1.1 km nature trail with a 200-metre elevation gain is a much more pleasant alternative to the crowded buses that often get stuck in traffic. That trail starts above the town at 2 Rua Victor Carlos Sassetti, is reasonably well signed, and is best tackled with a map from the tourist office or the ticket counter at Sintra National Palace; from the castle it is only a few more minutes up the main road to Pena. The walk to Monserrate from the town centre takes about an hour but is less strenuous. The Elétrico de Sintra tram, operated with restored early 20th-century trams, runs from Largo Dr. António José de Almeida — a square north of the railway line between the Sintra and Portela de Sintra stations — to Praia das Maçãs on the coast, a trip of about 45 minutes. The station at Largo Dr. António José de Almeida sells tickets, newspapers, postcards and regional wines, and has washroom facilities. The line has a history of full and partial closures for maintenance, so consult the website before you go.
Where to stay
Sintra's accommodation ranges from grand historic mansions to small townhouses and hostels, so you can choose between a luxurious base and somewhere simple to sleep.
- Sintra Marmòris Palace — a luxury mansion surrounded by gardens in the heart of Sintra.
- Oh Casa Sintra — a townhouse set back from the main tourist street among the leafy mansions of São Miguel, with a handful of rooms within walking distance of the historic centre.
- Tivoli Palacio de Seteais Hotel — a magnificent example of 18th-century architecture.
- Hotel Tivoli Sintra — panoramic views over old Sintra and the Sintra National Palace.
- Casa do Miradouro — on Rua Sotto Mayor.
- Pestana Sintra Golf — at Quinta da Beloura.
- Nice Way Sintra Palace — a refurbished old palace house on Rua Sotto Mayor, about 300m from the town centre, offering private and shared accommodation, a fully equipped kitchen, and a cosy living room opening onto a garden, with views of Sintra, the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace.
Food & drink
For sweets, seek out queijadas, especially those from Casa do Preto, and travesseiros from Periquita, the coffee shop Sintra is best known for. If you get the chance, try the Hockey Club at the bottom of the street leading up to Periquita. For a proper meal, Cyntia sits near the bus and rail stations on the lower side of town, a small restaurant where the codfish — Bacalhau à brás or Bacalhau à grelha — is excellent and the welcome is friendly. Dom Pipas serves delicious local dishes at decent prices, with daily specials alongside fish, meat and other Portuguese traditional fare. Further out at the Penha Longa Resort in Linhó, Lab by Sergi Arola is a Michelin-starred Mediterranean restaurant run by a Catalan chef using Portuguese ingredients, offering tasting menus or à la carte dishes, with golf course views; Midori, in the same resort, is a Michelin-starred Portuguese-inspired Japanese restaurant. In Colares, Adega Regional de Colares can organise a tasting of its fine wines in advance for a minimum of ten people.What to see and do
Sintra's headline sights cluster in the hills above town, and they get very crowded, especially in summer and at weekends. Plan to start early or come late in the afternoon, and buy your tickets online in advance from the Parques de Sintra website to skip the long queues and pick up a discount. Pena National Palace is a fine example of pseudo-Moorish Romantic architecture, with a good collection of furniture and the royal apartments; tickets are timed, so reach the park half an hour before your slot to make the uphill walk to the palace, as missed times are not refunded. The surrounding park is far quieter and can be explored on foot or by a small tourist train, with the bark-decorated Chalet, greenhouses, stables and lakes all worth a look. The Moorish Castle, ruins begun by the Moors from the 10th century onwards, is a highlight not to be missed: there is little inside, but the views from roughly 400 m above sea level are stunning, and the walls are narrow in places and lack safety railings, so take care.
In town, the Sintra National Palace served as the summer estate of the Portuguese royal family from the Middle Ages until the 1910 republican revolution, and its interiors and facade are covered in excellently crafted azulejo glazed tiles. Look for the Magpie Room, whose ceiling carries 136 magpies, the Coats-of-Arms Room added in the early 16th century, and the two towering kitchen chimneys outside. Elsewhere, Quintinha de Monserrate is an old estate with a farmyard where you can learn about traditional local farming, while Convento dos Capuchos is a secluded abbey in a wood, its crude, harsh style reflecting the friars' strict values; there is no electric light, so bring a flash for photographs, and don't miss the wood-carved chapel, library and friars' cells. Quinta da Regaleira, part of the UNESCO-listed Sintra cultural landscape, mixes Gothic, Manueline and Renaissance currents with Masonic symbols, most famously the Poço Iniciático, an inverted tower of nine plateaus; everyone seems to get lost hunting for it, so hold onto the map you get with your ticket. Further out, Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point of the European continent, reachable by bus from Cascais or Sintra.
For something more relaxed, Praia das Maçãs is a small, surprisingly calm seaside resort flanked by restaurants, with a salt water pool, sports facilities and a children's playground. A tram from the stop next to the Museum of Modern Art runs the 13 km downhill in 45 minutes, a delightful ride; about 8 km along, you can hop off at the Adega Regional de Colares, the Colares Winery, to taste this very rare wine.
Three days in Sintra
Day one begins in Lisbon, where you can catch a train from Santa Apolónia, Oriente, Campolide or Rossio. Buy a Viva Viagem ticket and keep it topped up, as you will use it again. Trains run to Sintra, and from the station you can walk into the town. Start with Sintra Palace in the centre, then climb to the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace, both set high in the hills. The walk is steep, so take your time.
Day two takes you along the Portuguese Riviera. From Sintra you can reach Cascais and the Atlantic coast, where the Cais do Sodré line connects back to Lisbon. The coast here has a mild, breezy feel, and the light is soft. If you prefer to stay inland, spend the day exploring the wooded slopes around Sintra, where the air is cool and often misty. The Moorish influence is still visible in the town's older quarters.
Day three is for Queluz, on the way back towards Lisbon. The palace there shows the grander, more formal side of the region, and it fits neatly into a return journey. From Queluz you can continue to Lisbon by train, using the same Viva Viagem card. Cycling is possible on some quieter roads, but the hills make it a challenge. Ask at the station for the best connection if you are unsure.