4-day trip to Sintra, Portugal

Hi there, baby boos! 😉

Hope you are doing well and doing you're best to stay safe and healthy during weeeeeird times!

Talking about weird times...let's talk about slowly going back to our normal life (with the needed precautions, OBVIOUSLY!).

So I decided to go on a little trip in this beautiful piece of land that is Portugal and went to Sintra with my favourite camera guy (a.k.a. BF) for four days and I'm here to tell you all about it! So buckle up and let's wander through the astonishing mistery of Sintra.

I have to be honest, Sintra was never a place I thought "I really have to go there!!" which proved to be a huge mistake...it is wonderful! It is as misterious as it is beautiful and it actually made me feel like I was living inside a fairytale with all those palaces/castles and amazing gardens. So, if you decide to see this wonder for yourself, here is a four day trip guide based on our own experience that you can use to plan your own unique little trip!

DAY 1

We drove there so half of the first day was just for the road. As we passed through Lisbon, we had lunch at the shopping mall and then headed to the first actual stop: Palácio Nacional de Queluz (National Palace of Queluz).

This palace is part of Parques de Sintra, the entity responsible for Palácio da Pena, Palácio de Monserrate, Castelo dos Mouros, Palácio Nacional de Sintra and Convento dos Capuchinhos. This means you can buy all the tickets at once which gives you a discount depending on the amount of locations you buy (you may also get a 5% discount if you buy online).

When you visit this palace, you will find the richness and beautiful intricate decorations of the 18th century. As you move through the palace you will be more and more amazed as each room is more fascinating than the last one. Besides the palace itself, there is also the garden in which you may find a slight resemblance to the Versailles gardens (in much much smaller dimensions, obviously). The price to visit the palace is 10€ per adult but if you get tickets for more places, it will be less as it has the discount I mentioned before.

After a good afternoon, we left Queluz heading to Sintra. We made a stop along the way to check the so called Disneyland of Sintra (Quinta da Felicidade). However, this is a private property which can be easily accessed but we decided not to because even though it would be an incredible experience, it is private property so we should not get in without the owner's permission. If this is not enough to keep you from invading, maybe the fact that it is protected with an alarm security system and that the police is always around will discourage you from entering.

After this little visit, we went to the hotel to check-in and ended our day with a pizza in the only place we found open at the time near the area (it was like 10 pm or so when we decided to have dinner).

DAY 2

In the morning of the next day, we woke up early, had breakfast and drove to Quinta da Regaleira. This tourist point is really near the village of Sintra so, if you're driving there, you can park near the center of the village and then walk to Regaleira (it will take you somewhere around 10 minutes to reach your destination).

Quinta de Regaleira is not part of Parques de Sintra so you have to buy tickets online or when you get there. They will also give you a map in the entrance. Make use of it! There is a lot to see so having this guide will be extremely helpful. The price of the ticket for an adult for a free visit (without a guide) is 10€ and the price for a guided visit is 15€ (the guided option has a duration of 90 minutes). We took the free one and spent around 3 hours there.

It's in Quinta da Regaleira that you will find the famous pit which is called Poço Iniciático. However, I didn't find it that incredible, to be honest...I was much more amazed by the palace and the chapel near it! The construction of the building is impressive (and a great background for some striking photos). You can go inside the castle to absorb some of the history behind this monument which was built between the year 1904 and 1910, to be purchased later by Dr. António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro whose fortune allowed him to endorse on this project alongside Luigi Manini, a creative genius of that time.

After our long visit to Quinta da Regaleira, it was time for lunch and we chose the cutest vegetarian restaurant nearby. Luckily for us, once we got there, the friendly lady that works there indicated us that the table she considers to be the best was available and we could sit there if we wanted...and of course we did! And she was right! It was right next to the window and you could see part of the village.

Besides the friendliest welcome, the food was amazing and not expensive at all. You pay 10€ and you get an appetizer, the main dish, drink and dessert (I'm not sure if you also have coffee but if you go there, the nice lady will tell you that). The place is called A Praça, definitely recommend!

After lunch, we wanted to visit Monserrate but the roads were cut, there was no buses at the time and we had to walk there (but Monserrate was too far to walk and we would never get there on time) so we decided to change our plans and went to Castelo dos Mouros. We also had to walk there but is wasn't as far as Monserrate and there were trails so it only took us about 30 minutes. We took different trails when going up to the castle and when coming down from it because the first one was through Vila Sassetti (another cool house you can check) and it closes at 6pm during the Summer and 5 pm during the Winter.

The Moorish Castle is a great monument with an astonishing view (great view of Palácio da Pena) and I found really interesting the fact that you have the different portuguese flags through the years represented on the wall as well as a green one with Sintra written in Arabic, as tribute to our Moorish heritage. Nonetheless, it was probably my least favourite and the quickest one to visit as it only has the wall basically. Still worth the visit though and I have to say that I loved the walk until the Moorish Castle! The ticket for an adult is 8€, the lowest price of all the monuments, alongside Palácio de Monserrate.

As the day was coming to an end, we headed to Palácio dos Seteais located right after the entrance of Quinta da Regaleira (it's like a minute walk from one gate to the other). This is not a public monument, this is an hotel so you can't pay a ticket and visit (at least, as far as we know) but you can enter the garden and watch the sunset or you can ask to get in to go to the garden and you may be lucky. This hotel is just astonishing, I have to say.

With no sun anymore, it was getting colder so we quickly changed clothes in the car and, for dinner, we went to a restaurant with a curious concept: everything was made out of codfish. It is called Bacalhau na Vila and basically they serve mostly appetizer-like dishes so you have the chance to taste various dishes without getting sick and broke. We payed about 30€ for two people, so I do not consider it expensive at all and you will most likely have a mouth-watering experience.

DAY 3

This day, we woke up a little bit late and we had to do some grocery shopping for our lunch later that day. Also, we already knew we had to walk until Palácio da Pena because the roads were cut, at that time, so we basically started our proper visit to the palace at noon.

Palácio da Pena is a memorable building because of its colours and well preserved interior. Definitely, one of the high marks of Sintra. There is not much I can say about it besides that is is astonishing! It used to be a monastery in the 12th century and belonged to the Order of São Jerónimo until the earthquake of 1755 almost completely destroyed the place. It remained abandoned until the 19th century when D. Fernando II decided to reconstruct it to the splendor we see nowadays.

The price for an adult is 14€ to visit the palace and the park or 7,5€ to visit just the palace, making it the most expensive monument of the five we visited. When you buy the ticket for the palace and the park, the shuttle to visit the park is included.

After you visit the palace, definitely check the park but be prepared to be confused by the maps if you adventure into an exploring trip through it. We tried to visit everything on foot but we found it not worth it because the park is sooooooo big and we would waste too much time doing it this way. So we took the shuttle to go to Chalet da Condessa D'Edla.

To take the shuttle, you will find various stops along the main "road" with some indications. Wait there and, when you see the shuttle do the driver a little sign so he knows you want to hop on. If you find the same nice lady we did, you will get a little guided visit through the park as she will tell you stories and will give you some fun facts.

The chalet is a quick visit. It is a small (but mesmerizing) building with the most beautifull walls and then you can either take the shuttle again or do like we did and follow the rest of the shuttle path but on foot. I recommend that you check the horses and the Vale dos Lagos (Lake Valley) as I considered them the most interesting points of the park and it was an easy walk back until the valley.

As we had finished our visit in the valley, we left through that entrance (which was closed but we climbed the outside wall because we were lazy and didn't want to go all the way back to the main entrance - however, this shouldn't be done, don't follow my lead on this one 😉)

Now it was time to walk back to the village through the Sassetti trail, we took the time to see the Vila Sassetti a little bit better, took a walk around the village, went to see the sunset at Cabo da Roca, and headed back to the hotel to get ready for our sushi dinner.

Another advice is to reserve the time to see the village. You don't need loads of time as the village isn't that big but it is worth a more attentive visit.

DAY 4

Last day was a calm day! We took our breakfast at the hotel, went to the garden (as we did everyday) and enjoyed the place one last time. Then we checked out and drove to Palácio de Monserrate (turns out there was a way of driving there, avoiding the cut road - we found this out on day 3). The price to this monument, for an adult, is 8€ and they are the most well given 8€ in Sintra!

This was my favourite monument. The gardens are divine and they aren't as confusing as the ones from Pena, plus it was almost empty so we could see everything at our own pace without having to find a way to avoid crowds.

The history of this palace is also remarkable and it went through a lot as the family that owned it struggled to have money to keep it. Inside the palace which has a remarkable architecture, you will find the complete history of the place on the second floor. Make sure you check it!

Leaving this heavenly place, we had a quick stop for lunch and headed to the beach: Praia da Ursa, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The access is not the easiest because you have to go down some trails, so wear some comfortable clothes and shoes and be prepared to be mesmerized once you reach your destination. We spent the afternoon there and we loved it! But be aware of the agitated waters when you go in the sea, as they can be a little dangerous if you're not careful.

After this lovely afternoon, it was time to head back home feeling so happy with our little trip to another corner of our beautiful country that we didn't know yet.

USEFUL TIPS/OTHER PLACES TO VISIT

In this trip, we visited the places we really wanted to know but there are other monuments and place that may be worth your visit, even though we didn't put them on our list. Those place are:

- Palácio Nacional de Sintra (right in the middle of the village) - find the tickets on the Parques de Sintra website

- Convento dos Capuchinhos - find the tickets on the Parques de Sintra website

- Cruz Alta (in the Palácio da Pena's park)

- Praia da Adraga (Adraga's Beach)

- Azenhas do Mar (another sea village near Sintra)

Besides these places, we also have some tips:

> Always be prepared to walk if you're travelling during the summer months, as they often cut the access roads to monuments when there is a risk of fire

> In case you find yourself in the previous situation, don't rely only on Google Maps to find the way as it may not be showing you all the trails and you may end up walking twice the time

> If you're not with a car there, you will have buses that will take you to the monuments. You can just go to the bus station near the centre of the village and find the information there

> Download the app "Talking Heritage" because you will find QR codes on some interest points on some of the monuments and you can check the history behind what you are seeing

> Always have money with you (not a lot but some) because you may find yourself in a place where the card is not working and there is no ATM nearby

> Do not fall for the first tuk tuk guy/girl that reaches to you. If you intend to grab one, be sure to check the prices of some before choosing

> Supermarket and a backpack are always two great companions if you want to have an inexpensive lunch on the go

> Take pictures but also enjoy the scenario around you. Don't visit places in a rush because you may loose some of the little cute things about the places

> Talk to people, it is very likely that you will find some very nice people and that you will learn something from them

> Have one Queijada de Sintra, they're very tasty!!!

Hope this article was useful and that you enjoy your trip to this fabulous place that is Sintra.

Bye,

Barbara