Tips:

Easiest way to travel is by train, it takes around 30 minutes away from Lisbon, and is a cheap ride costing around €4.50 return.
Sintra is full of cobbled streets, steep walkways and hill climb walks, so definitely pack sturdy and comfortable footwear.
For day trippers, it’s convenient to hop on the 434 tourist bus, which connects Sintra train station to the historic centre and then climbs the steep hills to the Pena Palace and the Moorish castle before returning to the train station.
It’s not advised to drive in Sintra, the narrow hill roads were never designed for today’s heavy traffic, and there is very limited car parking.
A trip to Sintra isn’t complete without sampling its famous Queijadas, a famous Portuguese pastry, loved by the royal family.

Day 4: Exploring Sintra:

Fairytale-like Sintra is a popular day trip from Lisbon. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site filled with castles, palaces and beautiful views. If you plan to spend only one day in Sintra I recommend exploring either the Pena Palace / Pena Park or the Moorish Castle, because you must leave some time in the afternoon to explore the old town of Sintra.

How to get there:

Hop on a speedy direct train from Rossio Station in Lisbon’s Baixa to Sintra railway statio to arrive in Sintra in around 30-40 minutes. You can’t reserve seats on any urban train from Lisbon to Sintra, and tickets have to be bought at the station, so leave enough time.

Sintra station is a comfortable 10-min walk from the town centre. However, Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle are located on a steep hill, 5km from the town centre. Therefore, a bus 434 operates on a hop-on hop-off system and tickets can be bought on board.

Palace of Pena:

Opening hours for the park are 9:30am and the palace 9:45am . You can get tickets online to visit both the park and the Palace interior online to avoid the queues.

The colourful Palace is located on top of a hill, so it’s best to ride the bus to the entrance.

Built by King Ferdinand II, a German prince who married Queen Maria II, daughter of Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, the Palace of Pena is one of his great works and it was classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995.

In the 15th century, Portuguese Kings began to spend more time at Sintra as a holiday destination, and the idea was to convert the monastery into a summer residence for the royal family because King Ferdinand fell in love with the location.

The monastery is perched on the second highest peak of the Sintra hills, overlooking beautiful landscapes.

Pena Park – Cruz Alta:

Pena Park provides many fantastic opportunities to view (and photograph) the colourful palace. The view from Cruz Alta / High Cross is a hidden secret, slightly off the beaten track viewpoint. However, be prepared, as it’s around a 500m climb to reach the peak.

Sintra’s Old Town:

After hiking the hills to get the epic photo, it’s time to hop back on the 434 bus and ride the loop back down into Sintra town. With cobbled streets, colourful buildings and yummy restaurants, there’s still lots of explore in the old town, which is not to be missed.

Casa Piriquita

Casa Piriquita is a bakery that has been tempting locals with sweet treats since it was founded back in 1862. It’s a must-try eatery in Sintra to enjoy Portuguese pastries. It’s famous pastry, “travesseiro” means “pillow”, describes this soft and fluffy sugar-filled pastry with egg cream and almond pretty well. I’ll warn you now, be sure to leave room for more than one – these sweet treats are incredibly moorish!

Sintra is designed for walking, meaning there lots of good opportunities to stroll and take in the pretty sights.

Another regional treat which you are bound to stumble across whilst in Sintra is Ginja (“ginjinha”), a little tricky to pronounce in Portuguese. It’s a sour cherry liquor served in a shot glass made of dark chocolate. For €1 a shot, you really cannot go wrong!

After spending the morning climbing the hills of Sintra, it’s worth spending the afternoon soaking up the Portuguese culture and enjoying a local beverage or two. Cantinho Gourmet is nestled down a cobbled street, a wine bar with a lovely outdoor (yet small) area, which is a complete sun trap. They serve the best white variation of sangria to help cool off after a busy day of exploring. It’s a fantastic little place to end the day.

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