The fairy tale like town of Sintra remains the road less traveled to most. Set between the hills of Lisbon and the Atlantic Ocean, the town itself is a quaint village full of tourist shops. Skip the shops and head to the monuments. Each of the monuments has extensive grounds and gardens to explore, so wear your best shoes and bring a picnic. It would be best to go during the week and arrive early if you aren’t going to overnight. TO get around, you can hire a driver from the train station or you can do the hop-on-hop-off buss. I find it best to hire a driver from Lisbon for the day.
Things to see…………
Palácio da Pena (Pena Palace) Summer 9:30AM - 8PM; Winter 10AM - 6PM. This is one of the sites in Portugal that you should not miss. The Pena Palace is a truly unique building, that looks like it may have been the inspiration for both Gaudí's creations in Barcelona, as well as for Disneyland. It was built in the mid-19th century on the site of a former monastery by the Portuguese king-consort Dom Fernando II as a summer palace for the royal family. In doing so, he combined various architectural styles into something that at first glance most resembles a wedding cake - you either love it or hate it. The park grounds around the palace are equally worth seeing. They are beautifully laid out, with many exotic plants, quaint features and beautiful viewpoints, with a myriad of trails leading through it all.
Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle), Summer 9:30AM - 8PM; Winter 10AM - 6PM. This castle was built in the 10th century by the Moors to defend the town of Sintra. It was further enlarged after the Christian reconquest in the 12th century. The complex was restored in romantic style by Dom Fernando II.
Palácio Nacional (National Palace). 9:30AM - 7PM. The former royal palace of Sintra also has its origins in the Moorish period. After the re-conquest, it became the summer residence of the Portuguese royal family, who extended and embellished the building. The current palace still looks very much like it must have looked in the 16th century. Noteworthy (and visible from a long distance) are the two enormous conical chimneys, that have become the hallmark of the town of Sintra.
Monserrate (Park and Palace of Monserrate), 9:30AM - 7PM (park closes 8PM). The Monserrate palace is a beautiful 19th century estate, blending Portuguese, Arabian and Indian architectural styles. The estate was bought in 1856 by Francis Cook, an English textile baron, who altered and extended the original neo-Gothic estate, built in 1789. The surrounding park is a wonderful botanical garden with plant species from all over the world.
Quinta da Regaleira (Regaleira Palace and Gardens), Summer 10AM - 8PM, Winter 10AM - 5:30PM. The origins of this place date back to 1697 but it was only in 1892 that Carvalho Monteiro, an eccentric capitalist that had made a huge fortune in Brazil, bought the property and hired the Italian architect Luigi Manini to conceive a place that gathered, on the one hand, a sum of artistic currents (Gothic, Manueline and Renaissance) and, on the other hand, the glorification of national history influenced by mythic and esoteric traditions. A great variety of Masonic symbols is present in Regaleira Palace and Gardens. An important example is the magnificent "Poço Iniciático" (Initiation Well), looking like an upside down tower, where at every 15 steps a plateau is reached, in a total of nine leading to the depths of the earth. A system of sub-terrain caves are fun to explore on a hot summer’s day.
And finally, no visit to Sintra is complete without a warm Queijadas de Sintra ("cheesecakes of Sintra") from Piriquita! Heaven in a single pastry.
Things to see…………
Palácio da Pena (Pena Palace) Summer 9:30AM - 8PM; Winter 10AM - 6PM. This is one of the sites in Portugal that you should not miss. The Pena Palace is a truly unique building, that looks like it may have been the inspiration for both Gaudí's creations in Barcelona, as well as for Disneyland. It was built in the mid-19th century on the site of a former monastery by the Portuguese king-consort Dom Fernando II as a summer palace for the royal family. In doing so, he combined various architectural styles into something that at first glance most resembles a wedding cake - you either love it or hate it. The park grounds around the palace are equally worth seeing. They are beautifully laid out, with many exotic plants, quaint features and beautiful viewpoints, with a myriad of trails leading through it all.
Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle), Summer 9:30AM - 8PM; Winter 10AM - 6PM. This castle was built in the 10th century by the Moors to defend the town of Sintra. It was further enlarged after the Christian reconquest in the 12th century. The complex was restored in romantic style by Dom Fernando II.
Palácio Nacional (National Palace). 9:30AM - 7PM. The former royal palace of Sintra also has its origins in the Moorish period. After the re-conquest, it became the summer residence of the Portuguese royal family, who extended and embellished the building. The current palace still looks very much like it must have looked in the 16th century. Noteworthy (and visible from a long distance) are the two enormous conical chimneys, that have become the hallmark of the town of Sintra.
Monserrate (Park and Palace of Monserrate), 9:30AM - 7PM (park closes 8PM). The Monserrate palace is a beautiful 19th century estate, blending Portuguese, Arabian and Indian architectural styles. The estate was bought in 1856 by Francis Cook, an English textile baron, who altered and extended the original neo-Gothic estate, built in 1789. The surrounding park is a wonderful botanical garden with plant species from all over the world.
Quinta da Regaleira (Regaleira Palace and Gardens), Summer 10AM - 8PM, Winter 10AM - 5:30PM. The origins of this place date back to 1697 but it was only in 1892 that Carvalho Monteiro, an eccentric capitalist that had made a huge fortune in Brazil, bought the property and hired the Italian architect Luigi Manini to conceive a place that gathered, on the one hand, a sum of artistic currents (Gothic, Manueline and Renaissance) and, on the other hand, the glorification of national history influenced by mythic and esoteric traditions. A great variety of Masonic symbols is present in Regaleira Palace and Gardens. An important example is the magnificent "Poço Iniciático" (Initiation Well), looking like an upside down tower, where at every 15 steps a plateau is reached, in a total of nine leading to the depths of the earth. A system of sub-terrain caves are fun to explore on a hot summer’s day.
And finally, no visit to Sintra is complete without a warm Queijadas de Sintra ("cheesecakes of Sintra") from Piriquita! Heaven in a single pastry.