In fairy tales, sometimes there’s a gorgeous village where you feel like time has stood still and magic lurks around every corner. In Sintra, we found that gorgeous village town, and I already can’t wait to go back to explore more.
Sintra is an easy 30 minute train ride from the central Rossio station in Lisbon, and we were so happy to be heading out there on a stunning blue-skied day.
As soon as we started walking around Sintra, we were struck by the amazing architecture on every corner. Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, Sintra was a retreat for Portuguese aristocracy for centuries, and the beautiful buildings echo its amazing setting on the hillside overlooking the Atlantic. I make no apologies for the amount of photos in this post – Sintra is ridiculously photogenic!
I’d normally be skeptical about taking a guided tour, preferring to make my own way. However almost on a whim we jumped into the tuk tuks of Tuk Tuk Sintra Cascais and had the best experience. Sintra is extremely hilly, especially between the Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle, so if you don’t want to spend quite some time hiking, then there are also public buses or tour buses that will ferry you between. The difference with the tuk tuks was the fantastic commentary from our guides Laura and Felipe. They knew all the stories – and the best spots for photos! It really made our visit.
The Castelo dos Mouros was built around the 8th century, and defended by the Moors with great success until the 11th century. It now lies largely in ruins but is still amazingly striking in its position high on the hill.
Pena Palace was constructed in the middle of the 19th century as a summer residence for the Portuguese royalty. Its intentional (and slightly crazy-looking) mix of architectures draws on Gothic, Islamic and Renaissance influences to create something quite unique! Around every corner was a different feature, and I especially loved the beautiful tiles – and the stunning vistas over the Atlantic.
After spending a few hours exploring the Palace, Laura told us we had to sample another sweet speciality – the Travesseiro de Sintra. Basically a pillowy confection of pastry and egg and almond cream, they are unbelievably delicious – especially when eaten warm from the original bakers, Piquita, in the main square!
Sintra was pure magic and one day was definitely not enough. When I go back, I’d love to hire a car from Lisbon to spend more time exploring the hills and amazing architecture of this gorgeous little village.