Destination guide
Sintra
Portugal
Sintra is a town in Greater Lisbon, Estremadura, Portugal. Its spectacular setting, 28 km from Lisbon, houses a Royal Palace, used by generations of Portuguese royalty prior to the 1910 revolution.
AI insights
AI-written from the Wikivoyage listings, transport section and the video stats on this page
When visiting Pena National Palace, arrive at the park gates at least 30 minutes before your scheduled entry time to allow for the uphill walk to the palace entrance, as missing your window will result in a lost ticket with no refund.
Avoid driving into the historic center, where parking is consistently difficult and roads are narrow; instead, park in the lots located below the town center and walk or use the available public bus and tuk-tuk services to reach the mountain sites.
Keep your map handy when exploring Quinta da Regaleira, as the complex layout of the gardens and the Initiation Well is notoriously difficult to navigate and visitors frequently get lost.
Look for dining options away from the primary tourist thoroughfares to find traditional Portuguese fare like codfish at better value; for instance, the restaurant Cyntia is a reliable option located conveniently near the train and bus stations.
Prioritize visiting the Moorish Castle early or on quieter days, as the narrow walls lack safety railings and become difficult to navigate when crowded with other visitors.
How we vet these picks
Every pick is drawn from real sources — YouTube creators, Wikivoyage, and Wikipedia. We only surface sources that actually exist and that we've checked for authenticity — no filler, no dead-end searches.Watch first
Ranked by views and how well each landed with the people who watched it, judged against the other coverage of this place — plus a local creator where we found one.
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Best time to go
Best window: Any time — the weather is kind all year
Kind weather all year — there is no month to avoid.
Rated from ten years of daily temperature and rainfall recorded at this destination, via Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis. Hover a month for its real numbers.
Getting around
By bus
It's probably best for most visitors to take one or more of the public bus routes. The routes are one-way and circular, with a stop in front of each of the major tourist sights, so keep this in mind when planning the order in which you see each sight.
By tram
The tram of Sintra (Elétrico de Sintra) runs from Largo Dr. António José de Almeida, a square north of the railway line between the Sintra and Portela de Sintra railway stations, to Praia das Maçãs on the coast.
On foot
"title": "Trail from Sintra to Moorish castle and Pena National Palace" Why not just get extra exercise and walk it all? If you are fit and only wish to visit the Moorish Castle and Pena Castle, walking the 1.1 km nature trail with a 200-meter elevation gain…
By car
Parking is abysmal, the roads narrow & windy, and on a holiday weekend Sintra can be absolutely packed with cars and people. If you must drive to Sintra, park in one of the several parking lots below the town center and walk up into town.
By tuktuk
The 434 bus is usually completely full by the time it reaches the historic centre of Sintra. Tuktuks are freely available to go up the mountain to the fort, or Pena (ask to be dropped off at the high entrance if you are going to Pena).
Transport notes from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What to see
Places are listed from Wikivoyage and our own sourced research. Worth it means a second, independent source names the place too; “3 sources agree” means three or more do — and each card names them, so you can check.
Palácio da Pena
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet
You climb through onion domes and Moorish keyhole gates painted in pink and lemon, a 19th-century royal fantasy castle perched above the clouds on Sintra's ridge.
Vetted sources
Castelo dos Mouros
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet
You walk the crenellated 10th-century ramparts and get a 360-degree view stretching from Sintra's rooftops all the way to the Atlantic.
Vetted sources
Quinta da Regaleira
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet
You descend the spiral steps of the mossy Initiation Well, built for Masonic-tinged ceremonial rites rather than water, deep in a fairy-tale garden.
Vetted sources
Palácio de Monserrate
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet
An extravagant Moorish-Gothic revival palace surrounded by one of Portugal's most exotic botanical gardens, far quieter than Pena.
Vetted sources
Sintra National Palace
Largo Rainha Dona Amélia· Moderate
The summer estate of the Portuguese royal family from the middle ages until the 1910 republican revolution. Built in several steps, the oldest standing parts is a chapel built by King Dinis I during the 14th century.
Vetted sources
Pena National Palace
· Moderate
Beautiful example of pseudo-Moorish Romantic architecture. You can walk there from Sintra in about an hour (uphill!) or catch a bus. You can see a good collection of furniture and the royal apartments. Tickets are sold on a timed basis.
Vetted sources
Moorish Castle
· Moderate
One of the highlights of Sintra not to be missed. Ruins of a castle built by the Moors from the 10th century onwards. Apparently, when Cascais was under the rule of Sintra, a huge fire would be lit here annually to remind the people of…
Vetted sources
Convento dos Capuchos
Colares· Moderate
A secluded abbey where monks used to live in close contact with nature. Immersed in a wood, its crude and harsh style points out the importance of spirituality according to these friars and their strict Christian values.
Vetted sources
Quintinha de Monserrate
· Moderate
An old estate with a farmyard, giving you an opportunity to learn about traditional local farming. The estate was transformed into its current form by 19th-century British industrialist Francis Cook and his architect James Knowles Jr, and…
Vetted sources
What to do
Cabo da Roca
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet
You stand at the westernmost point of mainland Europe, cliffs dropping straight into the Atlantic where a lighthouse marks the edge of the continent.
Vetted sources
Cycling Rentals
A Sintra-based company that offers all types of rental bicycles as well as guided and self-guided road or mountain bike Day Trips in the Sintra area. They will also deliver a hire bike to your hotel anywhere in the Lisbon / Sintra area.
Vetted sources
Ericeira Bike
Provides guided mountain bike tours in Sintra as well as an Ericeira to Cabo da Roca bike tour across the Sintra Natural Park coastline.
Vetted sources
Bike Iberia
In Lisbon Downtown right off the train station of Cais Sodre.
Vetted sources
What to eat
Apeadeiro
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet and 1 other
You order perfectly chargrilled fish that locals have been eating here for 46 years, at honest prices a two-minute walk from the station.
Vetted sources
Tulhas
Worth itAlso recommended by Time Out
You eat bacalhau com natas, a creamy cod gratin, inside a converted grain warehouse that feels like old-school Portugal.
Vetted sources
Casa Piriquita
Worth itAlso recommended by Time Out
You bite into a warm travesseiro pastry at this pink-walled, checkered-floor bakery that's been baking them since 1862.
Vetted sources
Dom Pipas
Rua João de Deus 62
Delicious local dishes at decent prices. Features daily specials, fish, meat, and other Portuguese traditional fare.
Vetted sources
Adega Regional de Colares
Alameda Coronel Linhares de Lima 32, Colares
A tasting of these fine wines can be organised in advance for a minimum of 10 people.
Vetted sources
Cyntia
Avenida Doutor Miguel Bombarda 47-49
Next to the bus and rail stations on the downside of Sintra, there is this small but fine restaurant where you can taste a marvelous codfish (Bacalhau à brás or Bacalhau à grelha).
Vetted sources
Where to stay
Oh Casa Sintra
Worth itAlso recommended by Time Out
This townhouse is set back from the main tourist street amidst the leafy mansions of São Miguel. A pocketful of rooms within walking distance from the historic center.
Vetted sources
Nice Way Sintra Palace
from the town centre take Rua do Sotto Mayor for about 300m· Moderate
Opened in January 2011 in a totally refurbished old palace house with private and shared accommodation, a fully-equipped kitchen, and a cozy living room which opens into a beautiful garden.
Vetted sources
Hotel Tivoli Sintra
Praça da República
Breathtaking panoramic views of old Sintra, and of the Sintra National Palace.
Vetted sources
Sintra Marmòris Palace
Avenida Barão de Almeida Santos 7
A luxury mansion surrounded by gardens in the hearth of Sintra.
Vetted sources
Tivoli Palacio de Seteais Hotel
Rue Barbosa do Bocage 10
Magnificent example of 18th century architecture.
Vetted sources
Travel essentials
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Travel content from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Encyclopedic context from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Videos via the YouTube Data API.