Day Trip to Sintra
Besides Cascais, Sintra is one of the best places to go on a day trip from Lisbon. Not only is it a UNESCO Heritage Site but it is practically a fairy tale come to life. There are multiple castles to see (each very different from the next) and lush, verdant forests to wander through. Many of these castles have surrounding gardens, which make for a wonderful walk. In fact because Sintra is in the mountains the air is crisp and the steep paths make for great exercise if you are up for it! The town of Sintra is also quaint and you can have fun getting lost. If you love nature and history this is the perfect day trip for you! Although you can make a great day trip out of Sintra because there is so much to see you can easily stay here for two days.
Getting There
From central Lisbon (Rossio Station), it takes just under an hour by direct train. You can find trains departing every 30 minutes and the cost is approximately €4.30. The other option is to take a car, which is ill advised. Sintra is a popular tourist destination and a small town with many narrow, winding roads. Did I mention many of these roads are also one way? Also parking spaces are very limited. My advice: leave the rental car at home and take the train!
What You Should Know
If you can visit on the off season – We visited in January, which was still lovely! Portugal remains green even in the dead of winter (except for up North). Sintra gets hot and congested particularly in the summer months. Try and avoid the crowds if you can.
Plan ahead – The main attractions in Sintra are the castles and palaces! You can easily fill two days up with sights. My advice, choose which ones you want to see ahead of time. Do some research. We ended up seeing three castles/palaces, which was a comfortable number if you don’t feel like rushing. The tickets are also not cheap, especially if you decide to visit multiple. Note you can get a discount if you bundle the tickets or purchase online.
Bring comfortable shoes and an umbrella – Optimally you should visit Sintra on a sunny day, which we did. Since you will be doing a lot of walking in the outdoors you want to dress accordingly and bring an umbrella just in case. Wear comfortable shoes.
Take Uber or the Bus Between Castles – If you have data in Portugal, take advantage of Uber, which we used to take us between palaces. Note some of the sights are walking distance from each other and you need to take a car/bus for others. If you opt for the bus you can take the 434, which stops at every major site. Purchase a Hop-on-Hop-off ticket at €6.90 from the bus driver. But FYI, you can go around in a loop only once so plan in advance.
Favorite Castles
Pena Palace
The Pena Palace is the most well-known palace in Sintra. The colors are startlingly bright and one-of-a-kind, almost like something a child would dream of! A large part of the palace is open to the elements and because it is located at the top most parts of Sintra the views are stunning! It can get windy here. You are also able to go inside but no pictures are allowed. The entrance is a bit hidden away so be sure to ask where to go inside. Interestingly, I have noticed the palaces here have smaller and cozier rooms compared to ones in France, etc. Note the Moorish influences in some of the interior rooms – fascinating. The palace grounds are also quite extensive (and steep). So if you are up for it take a walk and enjoy the nature.
There are two types of tickets – for the palace park only and for both the palace and park. Tickets for the latter are €14. Opening hours are from 10AM – 6PM (last ticket sold is 5PM).
Moorish Castle
The Moorish Castle is walking distance from Pena Palace. Though I do recommend going to Pena first since it is further up the mountain. The Moorish Castle reminds me of the Great Wall of China! The views are stunning and there will be no shelter from the elements. So I do not recommend this if it is raining! Getting to the wall itself requires some walking in a forest and then you need to climb the wall itself for the views. I recommend walking up the wall and going to the highest point you can (if possible). You can see all of Sintra below and marvel at how high up you are.
This castle was built during the 8th and 9th centuries when the Moors had conquered much of the Iberian peninsula. In the 1800s the towers were already in ruins and King Ferdinand II took it up on himself to conserve and renovate the castle. The fact that the castle remains in ruins is what creates such a wonderful ambiance in my opinion. Just take care of yourself (and your phone/camera) as you climb! This is not for those who have a fear of heights.
The castle is open from 10AM – 6PM and costs €8 per ticket.
Quinta da Regaleira
Of all three castles we managed to visit in one day, the Quinta da Regaleira was hands-down my favorite. Not only do you get to see a beautiful palace (though two of three floors were being renovated) but also an utterly whimsical garden. You can tell immediately that the man who landscaped this park had quite the imagination – think gothic and romantic. You can spend hours wandering in the park through tunnels, turrets, past grottoes, and water fountains. I would absolutely come back to Quinta just to wander around the park.
Although Pena Palace is the most famous site in Sintra the Quinta da Regaleira can easily follow suit. A sight that is particularly beloved on the grounds of this palace is the Initiation Well (photo below), which is a spiral staircase that takes you deep down below into a tunnel. My recommendation is you get to Quinta early in the day and make a bee-line to the tunnel before it gets congested with tourists. That way you can properly enjoy the eerie silence of this place!
The palace itself has had many owners over the years, one of which was the Viscountess of Regaleira, who was from a wealthy family of merchants from Porto. The property was then sold to Carvalho Monteiro, who then hired architect Luigi Manini to help him transform the estate. Manini added in new structures that pay homage to alchemy, Masonry, and the Knights Templar. Fascinatingly before the city of Sintra acquired the estate, Quinta was owned by the Japanese Aoki Corporation. Not sure why and how but the property certainly had unique owners!
The Quinta da Reglaeira is open from 9:30 AM – 8 PM (last ticket being sold at 7PM). Tickets are €10 per person.
The Perfect Pastry – Travesseiro de Sintra
Last but not least, you must end a perfect day with Travesseiro de Sintra, this town’s famous pastry, accompanied with an espresso! All the walking entitles you to a treat. One of the most popular pastry shops for this delicacy is Casa Piriquita. Sometimes the line goes out the door but we lucked out with a table. This delicious flaky pastry is filled with almonds and egg cream and literally translates to “Sintra’s Pillow.”
Travesseiro de Sintra is equivalent to a Pastéis de Belém and I would even argue it is more delicious! Absolutely crispy outer layers encase a wonderful, warm filling that is not too sweet but creamy. Do not leave Sintra without trying these! Casa Piriquita is conveniently located right in the town center so you have no excuse for not taking a bite.
