Sintra is a Portuguese hamlet that is part of the district and metropolitan region of Lisbon ( Greater Lisbon ).
It is the seat of the municipality of Sintra with an area of 319.23 km²
Vila de Sintra is notable for the presence of its romantic architecture, resulting in its classification as a Cultural Landscape of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has refused to be elevated to the category of city, despite being the seat of the second-most populous municipality in Portugal.
The Sintra area has been inhabited since the Paleolithic epoch.
D. Afonso Henriques conquered the Moors’ fortress in 1147, marking a watershed moment.
Sintra has repeatedly played a political role in the Portuguese monarchy and was regarded as the court’s summer residence from the beginning.
Downtown, with its maze of streets and history Pena Palace, hidden in the forest and brimming with enchantment and tales
Quinta de Regaleira is located in the heart of the city, just a few steps away.
The remnants of a Moorish castle, perched magnificently on a hill, are identifiable with their two towering chimneys.
Seteais Palace, which is now a renowned hotel known as Monserrate Palace, is set inside a park brimming with diverse plant varieties.
Sintra is known as Portugal’s romantic hamlet, owing to its stunning architecture, lovely streets, foggy climate, and the way man-made structures are intertwined into nature.
Sintra has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the category “Cultural Landscape” since 1995.
National Palace of Pena
The National Palace of Pena is one of the finest examples of nineteenth-century Romanticism in the world, perched on a rocky outcrop on the Sintra Mountains’ second highest peak (exceeded only by Cruz Alta [High Cross] at 528 m above sea level).
The Palace is located on the eastern side of Pena Park and may be approached by the steep access ramp erected by the Baron of Eschwege.
It was named one of Portugal’s seven wonders on 7 July 2007
The Palace and Park were designed and constructed in unison. From the Palace, visitors may enjoy views of the woodland that covers over 200 hectares of Pena Park. This park features lovely pathways and hikes, as well as several garden structures. There are bridges and caverns, as well as garden seats, pergolas, and fountains.
Opening hours and prices:
http://www.parquesdesintra.pt/planear-a-sua-visita/horarios-e-precos/
Sintra National Palace
The Sintra National Palace, commonly known as the Town Palace, was one of the residences used by the Portuguese Royal Family up until the monarchy’s demise in 1910.
Its construction began in the fifteenth century under the direction of an unknown architect. Its characteristics are reminiscent of those seen in Medieval, Gothic, Manueline, Renaissance, and Romantic architecture. The palace is regarded as an example of organic architecture, a collection of widely varying forms that connect together as a whole via courtyards, stairwells, hallways, and galleries. It holds Portugal’s biggest collection of Mudéjar tiles, and its kitchen is topped by two massive conjoined chimneys, a Sintra landmark.
http://www.parquesdesintra.pt/planear-a-sua-visita/horarios-e-precos/
Regaleira Palace
The Regaleira Palace is the largest structure and the most often used name for Quinta da Regaleira. Additionally referred to as “Palace of the Monteiro Millionaire,” a reference to the former owner’s surname, António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro.
The home is perched on a hillside not far from Sintra’s Historic Centre.
Carvalho Monteiro converted the 4-hectare estate with the assistance of Italian architect Luigi Manini into a palace surrounded by beautiful gardens, lakes, caverns, and mysterious structures that conceal alchemical meanings such as those inspired by Freemasonry, the Templars, and the Rose-cross. He uses a variety of lines to form the area, suggesting Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Manueline architecture.
GPS: N38º47’46.33, W9º23’45.23
Monserrate Palace
The palace was erected in 1858 at the request of Sir Francis Cook, Viscount of Monserrate. It was designed by architects Thomas James Knowles (father and son). The gardens were built to take advantage of the Mountain’s microclimate, resulting in a beautiful park with over 3000 exotic plants still visible today.
The palace served as the Cook family’s vacation house and was erected over the remains of a neo-Gothic mansion built by English trader Gerard de Visme, who was also responsible for the original Montserrat palace. In 1793, William Beckford rented the property, began repairing the palace and began establishing a manicured garden.
Along with other palaces in the neighbourhood, such as Pena Palace, it is a remarkable example of Portuguese Romanticism. Since 1978, it has been designated a Monument of Public Interest.
GPS: 38º 47’ 30.70” N 9º 25’ 9.09” W
National Palace of Queluz
The Royal Palace of Queluz, also known as the National Palace of Queluz, was built in the 18th century. The palace was created as a summer getaway for Don Pedro de Bragança, future King Pedro III, and was one of Europe’s last great Rococo style structures.
It was utilized as a covert location to confine Queen Maria I throughout her dementia, and notably after the death of King Pedro in 1786. After a fire destroyed the Palace of Ajuda in 1794, the Palace of Queluz became the official house of the Portuguese Prince Regent, the future King João VI, and his family. And thus it stayed until the Royal Family fled to Brazil in 1807 as a result of the French Invasions.
Mateus Vicente de Oliveira, the architect, began work on the Palace in 1747. Despite its tiny size, it is sometimes referred to as the “Portuguese Versailles.” From 1826 onwards, the palace gradually fell out of favour with Portuguese kings. Following a major fire in 1934 that devastated the inside of the palace, the monument was significantly renovated and is now available to the public.
The Queen Maria Pavilion, one of the wings of the Palace of Queluz constructed between 1785 and 1792 by architect Manuel Caetano de Sousa, is now an exclusive guest suite for foreign heads of state visiting Portugal.
It has been designated as a National Monument since 1910.
Opening hours and prices:
https://www.parquesdesintra.pt/planear-a-sua-visita/horarios-e-precos/
Moorish Castle
The Moorish Castle provides a unique vantage point from which to appreciate the panorama stretching from Sintra to the seaside. The castle, which winds between two peaks in the Sintra Mountains, dates all the way back to the early years of Moorish control in the Iberian peninsula, in the eighth century.
Following the capture of Santarém, King Afonso Henriques imposed a three-month siege on Lisbon.
Although Sintra’s Castle was voluntarily surrendered following the fall of Lisbon, legend has it that the sovereign entrusted Don Gil, a Knight Templar, with gathering twenty trusted men to secretly observe the enemy’s movements in Sintra, fearful of a surprise attack on his forces by the Sintra Moors, and preventing the Lisbon Moors from heading up the River Tagus into Sintra via Cas.
Opening hours and prices:
http://www.parquesdesintra.pt/planear-a-sua-visita/horarios-e-precos/
Quinta da Regaleira
Quinta da Regaleira is a must-see. It is insufficient to learn about its history, geography, and secrets. You must familiarize yourself with the estate, observe the landscape among the gardens and structures, appreciate the Palace, a genuine philosophical house inspired by alchemy, and wander through the unique park to experience its essence.
GPS: N38º47’46.33, W9º23’45.23
Sintra Tram
The railway line connects the mountains to the sea through the town to Maçãs Beach, a stretch of almost 11 kilometres, between Vila Alda in Estefânia and Maçãs Beach. During the 45 minutes trip, passengers can enjoy unique sightseeing between the Sintra Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.
GPS: 38°48’14.3″N 9°22’54.8″W
Correnteza Viewpoint
This is one of the most popular leisure areas in Sintra, owing to the massive ensemble and the lush scenery visible from the walls: Vale da Raposa, Vila Velha with its homes, and the Sintra National Palace, with the ocean in the distance. At the summit, there lies a Moorish castle.
Take a seat and take in the breathtaking view from this viewpoint in Sintra’s Historic City Centre, which is easily accessible from the Sintra railway station.
GPS – 38°48’03.3″N 9°23’02.8″W
Cruz Alta Viewpoint
Cruz Alta Viewpoint
This viewpoint, at 529 meters above sea level, is the Sintra Mountains’ highest point. Visitors may enjoy the Sintra Mountains in all their grandeur from this location in the middle of Pena Park, 4 kilometres from the old city.
With a panoramic panorama and the sea on the horizon, the entire municipality of Sintra is visible to the north, while the vast expanse of Lisbon and the River Tagus is visible to the south.
GPS – 38°46’55.4″N 9°23’29.0″W
Ferraria Viewpoint
The Ferraria Viewpoint is nestled among alleys and staircases in the town’s historic centre. It is a fantastic location from which to take in the magnificent panoramic view of the Historic Centre and the countryside north of Sintra, all framed by the ocean in the backdrop.
GPS – 38°47’46.55″N 9°23’23.5″W
Santa Eufémia Viewpoint
Located in Santa Eufémia da Serra at an elevation of approximately 470 meters above sea level, this viewpoint provides one of the most breathtaking views of Sintra, stretching from Queluz to the Ocean.
According to 1147 crusade records, the water from the Santa Eufémia Fountain had curative properties, which is why the 13th century Santa Eufémia hermitage was ordered and built. Additionally, this site contains a recreational area with a park and picnic area, which provides shade on hot days.
GPS – 38°47’12.3″N 9°23’06.75”W
São Martinho Churchyard Viewpoint
This perspective, located in the Town’s Historic Centre, is easily accessible and is regarded as a real Romantic setting.
Vines envelop the columns and the porch, suffocating those who sit beneath them and creating the ideal setting for viewing an alchemical landscape. It is possible to see a portion of the Sintra National Palace and the white homes topped by the Moorish Castle and the Pena Palace from this vantage point. In the distance, the agricultural scenery stretches all the way to the ocean. The benches beckon us to pause and unwind. This location is particularly lovely at sunset, as the sun sets behind the mountain.
GPS – 38°47’47.2″N 9°23’30.3″W
Seteais Viewpoint
The expansive green lawn of Seteais Palace, an 18th-century structure that has been transformed into a hotel, draws people in. The Triumphal Arch is visible in the backdrop. Once there, visitors are awestruck by the breathtaking view beyond the arch onto Pena Palace, or by the west-facing viewpoint located on the Saloia moorland, which is interlaced with agricultural fields and studded with white hamlet homes and framed by the ocean in the distance.
GPS: 38°47’48.3″N 9°23’58.1”W
Vigia Viewpoint
The Vigia Viewpoint is located in São Pedro de Sintra, approximately two kilometres from the historic centre, and gives a spectacular view similar to that of a picture on the most exquisite postcards.
Three hills may be seen from this vantage point, each with a magnificent structure: the National Palace of Pena, the Moorish Castle, and the revivalist Castle of São Gregório.
GPS – 38°47’40.8″N 9°22’50.1″W
Capuchos Convent
The Capuchos Convent was notable for its minimalist architecture and is one of several instances of 16th century Pietistic piety in Portugal. During a visit to the convent in 1787, William Beckford noted that “we took a tiny shortcut across a wild and desolate hill for several kilometres, to the Capuchos Convent, which at first sight reminds us of Robinson Crusoe’s dwelling.” (Beckford, William, and Portugal.) A Journey of Love, Exhibition Catalogue, National Palace of Queluz, 1987, p. 159).
The Convent symbolizes the Franciscan friars’ goal of global fraternity and brotherhood. Those who lived there were members of the Arrábida Province of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.
The convent’s entrance, a basic portico with a wooden roof and beams coated with cork, exemplifies the minimalist attitude of this building devoid of ornamental features.
Opening hours and prices:
http://www.parquesdesintra.pt/planear-a-sua-visita/horarios-e-precos/
Liberty Park
The announcement of the acquisition of Valenças Park by the Sintra Tourism Board dates back to 1936 and is intended to provide Sintra with a Public Park.
Monserrate Park
The exuberant romantic garden and palace built by Francis Cook, an English millionaire, provide unique testimony of the eclectic spirit of the eighteen hundreds.
Pena Park
The Pena Park and Palace combine the search for exoticism with a fascination for nature. Discover these unmissable monuments among exotic trees and indigenous species, where the incomparable Pena Palace stands out on its own.
Picnic Park
In this park, you can enjoy a pleasant environment, with an extraordinary landscape and “never-ending sights”.
Quinta da Ribafria Gardens
Solar de Ribafria was built in 1541, on the Lourel estate, by Gaspar Gonçalves, to whom King Manuel I attributed a charter and a coat of arms, and is a magnificent example of Manueline civil architecture.
