Location: Sintra
Top Things to do in Sintra
10 Nature & Parks in Sintra That You Shouldn't Miss
Long the home of Portugal’s monarchs, Sintra is a magnificent town of marvelous historic mansions, all set against the backdrop of lush hills. Sintra’s many castles include the Palácio Nacional de Sintra (a main abode of Portuguese royalty until the early 20th century), the hilltop and storybook Palácio da Pena, Quinta de Regaleira (incorporating several architectural styles and with gorgeous surrounding gardens), the Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle), and the Palácio de Monserrate.
Restaurants in Sintra
1. Quinta da Regaleira
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 13,313 reviews
Classified as World Heritage by UNESCO and built at the turn of the 20th century, this romantic architectural complex is comprised of a Palace, a Chapel, and gardens with grottos.
Reviewed By richardb552016 - London, United Kingdom
This palace is a must for anyone visiting Lisbon. Within easy reach by train and bus, the gardens are a delight with many follies, chapels, delightful views and what is called an Initiation Well which is an absolute must including stepping stones and looking through a waterfall amongst other attractions. The cafe affords a lovely outdoor seating area with views of the palace and gardens. The architecture of all of the buildings are magical in appearance. Allow at least 2 hours. The walk to the top of the garden area is fairly steep but worthwhile. Then it is all downhill from there!
2. Praia da ursa
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 521 reviews
Reviewed By 789stephend - Vancouver, Canada
I found Cabo da Roca to be beautiful and the ocean crashing against the cliffs. There are some hiking trails to explore, well worth the trip out here.
3. Micolandia
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 19 reviews
A Micolandia abriu em Setembro de 2001 e é um parque de diversão e festas de aniversário para as crianças entre os 2 e os 12 anos de idade brincarem livremente. O parque tem 500m2 de brincadeira com insufláveis, labirinto de 3 andares com ponte tubular, escorregas para piscinas de bolas e uma zona assombrada, trampolim, minicampo de futebol, canto de basquete, palco com karaoke, zona de camarins, e ainda um espaço reservado a menores de 4 anos com casinha de bonecas e atividades. Para os adultos temos um espaço com cafetaria e esplanadas, onde podem aguardar tranquilamente enquanto as suas crianças se divertem. A esplanada interior é envidraçada sendo possível ver as crianças no parque. A Micolandia realiza festas de aniversário no parque ou em espaços particulares, recebe grupos escolares e faz eventos de empresas.
4. Parque de Monserrate
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 754 reviews
Reviewed By LP528 - Manitoba, Canada
We were shocked by how beautiful the grounds were, even in January. They're beautifully maintained, and well worth an hour or two of wandering. The palace has been wonderfully restored; you have to see the 'before' pictures to fully appreciate the work that has been done. I wish we'd have been told to start on the top floor. This is where all of the information about the history of the palace is. There's a very interesting video to watch, as well. I highly suggest starting at the top and working your way down; it will all make much more sense that way. We stopped at the cafe, and it's a nice place for a drink and a snack (inside or out). The selection of food is likely much better during high season. Beware if you're driving to Monserrate - good old google maps sent us to the service entrance (a challenging drive to be avoided at all costs). This might be a disappointing place for anyone with mobility issues. Wear proper footwear as the paths can be steep and slippery in places. Would LOVE to see this place in summer (although, I fear the crowds would be annoying).
5. Praia do Magoito
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 115 reviews
Reviewed By Asia_Be - La Roche-en-Ardenne, Belgium
We decided to go a bit further away from Cabo da Roca area and drove 30 minutes up to get to this beach. It was a lovely place, almost completely deserted at this time of the year, if not for the many surfers enjoying the waves. The kids were in paradise! World's biggest sandpit, just for them! They bathed in the ocean even though it was 1st of November. In our opinion, well worth the drive!
6. Praia da Samarra
7. Vale dos Lagos at Parque de Pena
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 157 reviews
Reviewed By neil_hun - Horsham, United Kingdom
In the rush to see the major landmarks of Sintra, it's easy to 'do' the Palace of Pena, hot-foot it across to the Moorish Castle and then onto the next stop on your itinerary. If you do, you'll be missing one of the highlights of the Sintra Hills. The Parque de Pena and the Vale dos Lagos within it have a fairytale-like quality, with its towering trees, dainty bridges, chain of lakes and mini waterfalls, lush green ferns, tiny chapel, moss-covered benches and other man-made structures being slowly consumed by the undergrowth. And despite the crazy number of people at the palace, the size of the park and its labyrinthine paths make it easy to lose yourself in this beautiful setting. We wandered around for an hour and didn't see a soul for 20 minutes of that time. Bliss.
8. Sintra Mountains
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 25 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
The star attraction at Sintra is the colourful Pena Palace but Sintra is also surrounded by beautiful mountains and extensive forests. The Serra de Sintra mountains start in the centre of the old town and extend to the ocean at Cabo da Roca, the western-most point of mainland Europe. Even if, like us, you only have a day-trip to Sintra, there are still hiking trails between the palaces and castle that allow you to see something of the mountains. After visiting Pena Palace, we followed the bushland trail to the Moors Castle and then continued the mountain trail around the outer castle walls, following the path right down through the forest to the old town centre. It was almost entirely downhill so was very easy. We joined the track from the carpark opposite the lower Pena Park gate (the Lakes entrance). The path here was just a simple bushland track and there was a little bit of scrambling involved. We weren’t always 100% certain that we were still on the right path but we followed the general direction of the castle and emerged at the right spot (the outer walls of the castle beside the road, a kiosk and a toilet block). From here the route became much clearer, there were occasional signs and the path was mostly paved or cobbled. There are some great panoramic views as you descend and you will also pass the 12th century Gothic church of Santa Maria. The walk took us under an hour but we walked at a leisurely pace, stopping to look at the views. TIPS * The Tourist Information Centre map was somewhat helpful as a general guide. If you don't already have a better map, then I’d recommend picking this up before you go because neither the Palace Gift shop nor the ticket office had any maps. * Look out for wooden signs and trail markers that are red and yellow lines painted on a walls, rocks or tree. * there was plenty of shade and you didn't need special hiking shoes, just comfortable walking shoes or trainers but do take a bottle of water with you.
