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Planning a trip to Sintra, Portugal? In this post, I cover when to visit, how long to stay, what to pack, how to get there, the main attractions, and some of our tips.
Sintra is a charming Portuguese town located in the Sintra mountains near Lisbon. Its natural beauty and architecture, are the reasons why it's classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.
The best time to arrive is between 9 am to 11 am.
Pena Palace is the most visited palace in Sintra for a reasonable reason. This castle is like none you've ever seen. The beautiful vibrant colors and magnificent views make you feel like you're in a fairytale.
The best time to arrive is 9 am to 12 pm.
Jardins do Parque da Pena, The gardens surrounding the Pena Palace were planted as Pena Palace was being built. It houses several exotic plants, lakes and bridges.
The Cruz Alta viewpoint offers a breathtaking view, especially from the high cross from where you can see the colorful palace.
Entrance Fee: 7.50€.
The best time to arrive is 9 am to 12 pm.
Many visitors to Sintra overlook the Moorish Castle, but you shouldn't because it offers one of the best views of Sintra! The Moorish castle was built in the 8th century and resembles the wall of China, making it a fantastic location to explore.
The best time to visit: all day.
The historic town of Sintra is nestled among several steep hills dominated by the Moorish castle and Pena palace. It's a beautiful small compact area to spend an afternoon.
The best time to visit: All day.
Let me start by saying that we didn't plan on visiting Sintra National Palace, we wanted to visit Monserrate Palace. Still, we accidentally purchased tickets to Sintra National Palace, so after grabbing lunch in the center of town, we decided to hop on in to take a glance at the interior of the palace.
The best time to visit: All day.
Fonte Mourisca or the Moorish Fountain is a public water fountain sited by the roadside on the Volta do Duche in Sintra, between Sintra National Palace and Quinta da Regaleira.
The best time to arrive is 9 am to 10 pm or 5 pm to 6 pm.
Hidden in the lush green Sintra mountain, lies this beautiful palace. You walk through a beautiful garden that leads up to the palace. There are several hiking trails that take you to the palace. You can also visit the pastel palace from the inside. The palace itself is not very big, but the combination with the beautiful garden makes a visit to this palace really worthwhile!
The best time to arrive: All day.
False ruin designed by Francis Cook created out of the chapel built by Gerard de Visme in replacement of the former Chapel of Our Lady of Monserrate. Engulfed by vegetation, the ruin is now inherently bound up with the adjoining Australian rubber tree.
The best time to arrive is 10 am to 12 pm or 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
This Gothic palace is a must-visit landmark visiting Sintra and has to be our favorite palace. The opulent palace has spectacular gardens with a surrealistic initiation well and ornate follies.
Best time to arrive is 10 am or 6:30 pm.
The Initiation Well is an 8-foot-deep spiral staircase that descends into underground tunnels. The stone staircase is hollow in the center with a compass-patterned floor at the bottom. The well was never built to serve as a water resource and was never used as a well, it was actually built for secret ceremonial purposes. It is believed that the spacing of these landings, as well as the number of steps in between, are linked to Tarot mysticism and Masonic principles.