Sintra: what to visit in this romantic village in Portugal
Sintra village, located near Lisbon is probably the most romantic village in Portugal where there are several palaces, gardens and a castle on top of a mountain.
Sintra is the romantic village par excellence. A place that must be visited to feel involved by the romantic mystique of this village. Located 19 miles from Lisbon, it is full of places of historical interest and gardens that allowed it to be distinguished by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
In this short itinerary, you will find the main monuments of the village, but there are many more charms in the village and also on the coast, which is right next door.
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Where it is located
Sintra National Palace
In the central area of Sintra, we find the town palace. This was used by the Portuguese royal family and has medieval, Gothic, Renaissance and romantic characteristics. It is located in a privileged location, close to the central area of the village, being a mandatory stop for all visitors. Several secrets can be found in it, such as the well that never runs dry and that served the residents of the palace.
Quinta da Regaleira
Quinta da Regaleira and especially its gardens are stunning. The work of Italian architect Luigi Manini, also the author of the Buçaco Hotel Palace, created a romantic-style palace and a garden in which each element has a different meaning.
Pena National Palace
At the top of the Sintra Hill, we glimpse the jewel in Sintra’s crown. The Pena National Palace and the park that surrounds it have been a World Heritage Site since 1995 and a National Monument since 1910. It is an extravagant palace in bright colours with various architectural structures that appeal to the medieval imagination.
Moorish Castle
Very close to the Pena National Palace are the walls of the Moorish Castle. This one stands out for the fact that the walls were built on the rocks of the mountain range and for its view over Sintra, the mountains and the sea.
Monserrate Palace
Between Sintra and Colares, immersed in the beauty of the mountain’s microclimate, is the Palace and botanical garden of Monserrate. Extraordinary and currently restored palace placed on the highest part of a garden that gathers species from all over the world. It’s another trip through the natural world without leaving Sintra.
Activities to do in Sintra
Capuchos Convent
Surrounded by nature and far from the gardens and palaces is the old Capuchos Convent. This one, devoid of any luxury and perfectly framed in the landscape, was the residence of Franciscan friars until the extinction of the religious orders.
The travesseiros and Sintra queijadas
Leaving Sintra without tasting the greatest representatives of convent sweets is, like going to Rome and not seeing the Pope. There are several typical sweets but the most famous and with the surname of Sintra are the Queijadas and Sintra travesseiros. The queijadas are made with fresh cheese, sugar, flour and cinnamon and are disputed by two typical houses, the Fabrica das Verdadeiras Queijadas da Sapa and the Casa Piriquita.
Sintra’s travesseiros are the most requested sweets at Casa Piriquita. Puff pastry cake filled with almonds and eggs sprinkled with sugar is irresistible.
Photo from Rui Ornelas in Flickr
When visit
The village of Sintra is a tourist attraction for all who visit the country and Portugal’s capital. Its castle, palaces and gardens are among the most visited monuments in Portugal, so if you prefer a visit with shorter queues, the best time will be between autumn and spring. In fact, if you live in Portugal, it won’t be difficult to find a weekend with good weather for a visit to Sintra.
Plan your trip using the following tools and/or website
Using the following links and tools on the website you are helping to maintain Scannertrip. This use is the same for you and you do not pay more for it. For Scannertrip it makes all the difference!!
- To find the best stays use Booking. It is one of the best websites for booking stays and always with some promotions on some destinations. The reliability and ease of booking and cancelling make it even the most popular.
- To compare prices for your Stays you can use the Hotels Combined or hotellook. These search engines show different prices from other websites for the same destination. There may possibly be a lower price for the same hotel on another website and these search engines will show it.
- When you are preparing what to do at your destination, you will obviously search for activities to occupy you. Use this activity comparator in the scannertrip provided by Musement, or tiqets or the civitatis.
- Transfers to and from the airport can be purchased via the website kiwitaxi. So you don’t need to get in touch with the different companies in your destination looking for the best price.
- If you choose to rent a car, also use the price comparators. The autoeurope website compares prices from different rental companies.
Compare the prices for your stay
Where to find your Stay?
The village of Sintra and its surroundings have many places to stay overnight or for holidays. From the best hotels in old farmhouses and palaces to local accommodations, there is plenty to choose from. Use the following Booking tool to be able to choose the best accommodation by location.
Booking.comOr get inspired by the following most popular accommodation in Sintra.
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