Sintra is both a town and a municipality in the Lisbon Coast/aka Estoril Coast region of Portugal. Its spectacular setting, 28km from Lisbon, houses a Royal Palace, used by generations of Portuguese royalty prior to the 1910 revolution. The surrounding hills are surmounted by the remains of the Moorish Castle and by the nineteenth-century Pena Palace.Historic Sintra is an heritage patrimony sight declared by UNESCO.
The Estoril coast is often considered to be part of the Lisbon coast, which includes Cascais,Lisbon,Sintra and other nearby municipaliies.
Sintra rail station may be reached by CP services from several Lisbon stations, including Santa Apolónia, Oriente, Campolide and Rossio. The town is a 10 minute walk from the station. Alternatively, a bus to the center can be caught from the bus stop opposite the station.
It should cost around €3.20 return.
For more information, contact:
CP, Portuguese Railways.
By tram
The historic 14km tram route from Praia das Maçãs, mainland Europe's most westerly holiday resort, terminates about 1km from Sintra town centre, at Ribeira de Sintra, which is located about 1km down the hill past the Hotel Tivoli, near the Royal Palace. The service is operated by restored trams dating from the early 20th century; operates F-Su 9:30AM-7:30PM; trams run hourly taking 45 minutes for the journey.
When visited 8th June 2008, the section of tram route Ribeira da Sintra to Praia das Maçãs was 'closed until further notice for technical reasons.' Conversely, the previously unused short section from the town centre down the hill to Riberia da Sintra is the only working section, having been newly restored. Trams run on the afternoons of Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
No information was avaialable as to any planned re-opening. The track is intact but rusting away and the signalling system still working.
For more information, contact:
Sintra Tram, telephone +351 219238500.
By Bicycle
Cycling in Sintra can be an interesting day out for those who are fit and have some experience.
If staying in Sintra and around a local company is a good option for you.
In case you are visiting Sintra then your best bet is to book a tour or rent a bike e.g. in Lisbon, take the commuters train from Rossio station to explore Sintra and/or the Nature Reserve finishing in Cascais, a beautiful day trip on a bicycle, in the end take a train back to Cais do Sodre station in Lisbon where you may drop back your bicycle.
Adult return ticket is around 3 or 4 Euros and bicycles travel for free every day of the week.
Companies operating from Lisbon include Bike Iberia (Phone: +351 96 242 3455, ) located in Lisbon Downtown right off the train station of Cais Sodre .
Traveling around
The best bet is to take the bus around town and walk from the bus stops to the attractions. Parking is abysmal 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.
Once you are in town you can take the circular 434 bus route to the Palácio da Pena, the Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish castle) and other sights. Tickets are only €4 for the whole day and can be purchased from the bus driver. If you choose to walk be warned that the trek to Palácio da Pena and the Castelo dos Mouros can be a daunting, steep up-hill, one-hour climb from the city center. If you feel fit, though, the stunning view from the top is a generous reward for your troubles.
There is also a walking trail through the woods to the Moorish castle that starts above the Sintra city center at the wooden turnstile on the Rampa do Castelo; better bring a map and ask for directions as the entrance to this trail is well hidden. Once you have made the journey to the castle, it's only few more minutes walk up the hill on the main road to the Palácio. The walk to Monserrate from the Sintra town center is still approximately one hour but is less strenuous. Also note that the "Linha Monserrate" that picks up passengers in front of the Palácio Nacional de Sintra is only a "sight-seeing" bus, it does not deliver you to Monserrate.
To get to Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca), take the 403 bus (Direction = Cascais). The journey takes about 40 minutes.
See
Quinta da Regaleira (Regaleira Palace and Gardens), (+351) 21 910 66 50, (+351) 21 910 66 50, Rua Barbosa du Bocage, 2710-567 Sintra, Regaleira Palace, situated at the historic centre of Sintra, is also part of the built heritage included in UNESCO's world heritage list as
Monserrate
The Royal Palace
Pena park with Pena Palace (Palácio da Pena)
Beautiful example of Moorish architecture which is sadly not very well maintained. Nevertheless, well-worth a visit.
Convento dos Capuchos
Moorish Castle (Castelo dos Mouros)
One of the highlights of Sintra not to be missed. Apparently, when Cascais was under the rule of Sintra, a huge fire would be lit here annually to remind the people of Cascais that the Moorish Castle is there to protect them.
Toy Museum, 10.00-12.30 14.00–18.00 , Largo Latino Coelho , in the town centre, Marvellous museum with over 20,000 exhibits. Great for kids but also for adults who can relive their childhood.
Eat
Queijadas mainly the ones from "Casa do Preto"
Travesseiros da Periquita
Cynthia: 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"). They are very kind and friendly, and don't hesitate to help you in anything you need.
China palace, Right next to the railway station there is a cheap and tasty Chinese restaurant. But the best part is that they make very fast take away. Just ask for the 2 minute take away, it's not on the menu, but they will make it just for you!
Drink
If you have the chance, you should try the Hockey Club, just in the beginning of the street that goes up to the Piriquita (the most well known coffee shop in Sintra due to its marvelous egg sweets).
Sleep
Hotel Tivoli Sintra, +351 21 9237200, Praça da República - 2710-616 Sintra
Tivoli Palacio de Seteais Hotel, +351 21 9533200, Rue Barbosa do Bocage, 10 - 2710-517 Sintra
Casa do Miradouro, +351 21 910 71 00, The Lambregts Family is very pleased to let you enjoy the pleasure of spending your holiday in the beautiful Casa Miradouro. The lady of the house Charlotte will make your stay very comfortable and unforgettable.
Take a look inside and discovered the most pleasant Guest-house in Portugal.
Buy
Souvenirs and Porto wine are all on sale in the Sintra historic district. There are a number of shops that sell standard tourist items (post cards, t-shirts, etc.) and a number of shops that sell ceramics, pieces of art and hand crafts. If you are looking for gifts for friends and family, Sintra has a broad selection of items to choose from.
To get something truly unique and local, consider cork products that range from wallets to umbrellas. These original products wear like leather and are environmentally sound, as well as attractive.
Some photos courtesy of:
. The photos provided by Flickr are under the copyright of their owners.
This travel guide also includes text from Wikitravel articles, all available at View full credits
Kevin Gabbert, Denis Yurkin, D. Guillaime, Keiran, R, Zachary Goren Slovin, David, Ricardo, Niels Elgaard Larsen, Vasco de Arriaga e Cunha Galvão Roxo and Daniel Cowan, Roundtheworld, Inas, Tatatabot, Episteme, Mattziu, WindHorse, Lectiodifficilior, Nzpcmad and Chris j wood
This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at View full credits
Sintra is both a town and a municipality in the Lisbon Coast/aka Estoril Coast region of Portugal. Its spectacular setting, 28km from Lisbon, houses a Royal Palace, used by generations of Portuguese royalty prior to the 1910 revolution. The surrounding hills are surmounted by the remains of the Moorish Castle and by the nineteenth-century Pena Palace.Historic Sintra is an heritage patrimony sight declared by UNESCO. The Estoril coast is often considered to be part of the Lisbon coast, which includes Cascais,Lisbon,Sintra and other nearby municipaliies.
Regions
Queluz (city)
Agualva-Cacem (city)
Colares (town)
Sintra (vila/town and serra/mountain).
Getting there
By train
Sintra rail station may be reached by CP services from several Lisbon stations, including Santa Apolónia, Oriente, Campolide and Rossio. The town is a 10 minute walk from the station. Alternatively, a bus to the center can be caught from the bus stop opposite the station.
It should cost around €3.20 return. For more information, contact:
By tram
The historic 14km tram route from Praia das Maçãs, mainland Europe's most westerly holiday resort, terminates about 1km from Sintra town centre, at Ribeira de Sintra, which is located about 1km down the hill past the Hotel Tivoli, near the Royal Palace. The service is operated by restored trams dating from the early 20th century; operates F-Su 9:30AM-7:30PM; trams run hourly taking 45 minutes for the journey.
When visited 8th June 2008, the section of tram route Ribeira da Sintra to Praia das Maçãs was 'closed until further notice for technical reasons.' Conversely, the previously unused short section from the town centre down the hill to Riberia da Sintra is the only working section, having been newly restored. Trams run on the afternoons of Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
No information was avaialable as to any planned re-opening. The track is intact but rusting away and the signalling system still working.
For more information, contact:
By Bicycle
Cycling in Sintra can be an interesting day out for those who are fit and have some experience.
If staying in Sintra and around a local company is a good option for you.
In case you are visiting Sintra then your best bet is to book a tour or rent a bike e.g. in Lisbon, take the commuters train from Rossio station to explore Sintra and/or the Nature Reserve finishing in Cascais, a beautiful day trip on a bicycle, in the end take a train back to Cais do Sodre station in Lisbon where you may drop back your bicycle. Adult return ticket is around 3 or 4 Euros and bicycles travel for free every day of the week.
Companies operating from Lisbon include Bike Iberia (Phone: +351 96 242 3455, ) located in Lisbon Downtown right off the train station of Cais Sodre .
Traveling around
The best bet is to take the bus around town and walk from the bus stops to the attractions. Parking is abysmal 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. Once you are in town you can take the circular 434 bus route to the Palácio da Pena, the Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish castle) and other sights. Tickets are only €4 for the whole day and can be purchased from the bus driver. If you choose to walk be warned that the trek to Palácio da Pena and the Castelo dos Mouros can be a daunting, steep up-hill, one-hour climb from the city center. If you feel fit, though, the stunning view from the top is a generous reward for your troubles.
There is also a walking trail through the woods to the Moorish castle that starts above the Sintra city center at the wooden turnstile on the Rampa do Castelo; better bring a map and ask for directions as the entrance to this trail is well hidden. Once you have made the journey to the castle, it's only few more minutes walk up the hill on the main road to the Palácio. The walk to Monserrate from the Sintra town center is still approximately one hour but is less strenuous. Also note that the "Linha Monserrate" that picks up passengers in front of the Palácio Nacional de Sintra is only a "sight-seeing" bus, it does not deliver you to Monserrate.
To get to Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca), take the 403 bus (Direction = Cascais). The journey takes about 40 minutes.
See
Quinta da Regaleira (Regaleira Palace and Gardens), (+351) 21 910 66 50, (+351) 21 910 66 50, Rua Barbosa du Bocage, 2710-567 Sintra, Regaleira Palace, situated at the historic centre of Sintra, is also part of the built heritage included in UNESCO's world heritage list as
Monserrate
The Royal Palace
Pena park with Pena Palace (Palácio da Pena) Beautiful example of Moorish architecture which is sadly not very well maintained. Nevertheless, well-worth a visit.
Convento dos Capuchos
Moorish Castle (Castelo dos Mouros) One of the highlights of Sintra not to be missed. Apparently, when Cascais was under the rule of Sintra, a huge fire would be lit here annually to remind the people of Cascais that the Moorish Castle is there to protect them.
Toy Museum, 10.00-12.30 14.00–18.00 , Largo Latino Coelho , in the town centre, Marvellous museum with over 20,000 exhibits. Great for kids but also for adults who can relive their childhood.
Eat
Queijadas mainly the ones from "Casa do Preto"
Travesseiros da Periquita
Cynthia: 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"). They are very kind and friendly, and don't hesitate to help you in anything you need.
China palace, Right next to the railway station there is a cheap and tasty Chinese restaurant. But the best part is that they make very fast take away. Just ask for the 2 minute take away, it's not on the menu, but they will make it just for you!
Drink
If you have the chance, you should try the Hockey Club, just in the beginning of the street that goes up to the Piriquita (the most well known coffee shop in Sintra due to its marvelous egg sweets).
Sleep
Hotel Tivoli Sintra , +351 21 9237200, Praça da República - 2710-616 Sintra
Tivoli Palacio de Seteais Hotel , +351 21 9533200, Rue Barbosa do Bocage, 10 - 2710-517 Sintra
Casa do Miradouro , +351 21 910 71 00, The Lambregts Family is very pleased to let you enjoy the pleasure of spending your holiday in the beautiful Casa Miradouro. The lady of the house Charlotte will make your stay very comfortable and unforgettable. Take a look inside and discovered the most pleasant Guest-house in Portugal.
Buy
Souvenirs and Porto wine are all on sale in the Sintra historic district. There are a number of shops that sell standard tourist items (post cards, t-shirts, etc.) and a number of shops that sell ceramics, pieces of art and hand crafts. If you are looking for gifts for friends and family, Sintra has a broad selection of items to choose from.
To get something truly unique and local, consider cork products that range from wallets to umbrellas. These original products wear like leather and are environmentally sound, as well as attractive.
Get out
Ericeira,Mafra,Peniche,Obidos,Alcobaca,Nazare,Leiria,Coimbra,Tomar,Almourol,
Fatima,Ourem,Santarem,Cascais,Estoril,Oeiras,Lisboa,Almada,Caparica,Sesimbra, Palmela,Setubal,Troia,Alcacer,Evora.
Contact & location
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The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:
Ricardo Martins, Francisco Antunes, Pedro Simões, F Mira, Shadowgate, Flipao, Filipe Fortes
Some photos courtesy of:
. The photos provided by Flickr are under the copyright of their owners.
This travel guide also includes text from Wikitravel articles, all available at
View full credits
Kevin Gabbert, Denis Yurkin, D. Guillaime, Keiran, R, Zachary Goren Slovin, David, Ricardo, Niels Elgaard Larsen, Vasco de Arriaga e Cunha Galvão Roxo and Daniel Cowan, Roundtheworld, Inas, Tatatabot, Episteme, Mattziu, WindHorse, Lectiodifficilior, Nzpcmad and Chris j wood
This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at
View full credits