The Magical City of Sintra
A to Z of my favorite travel destinations — S is for Sintra
I can be easily convinced to visit someplace just based on a photo that I see. That’s what happened with Sintra. One look at the fairy tale Pena Palace and La Quinta Regaleira and I was hooked.
I was traveling through Portugal with a friend of mine. After touring around Lisbon and before we headed north to Porto, we took an early morning commuter train to Sintra. It gave me a chance to see more of the residential side of the capital city as we shared the train with commuters on their way to and from work. It took about an hour and only cost us 2,50€.
We were a little worried about the weather, that the rain in the forecast would ruin our day of sightseeing. When we got on the train it started raining off and on, but at times it was a heavy downpour. Luckily by the time we arrived, the rain had let up to light showers.
We walked a couple of blocks to our hotel, dodging the growing number of tourists who had arrived on the same train. We quickly checked in and dropped off our bags so we could begin our day-long self-guided tour.
About a block from the hotel is the Sintra Municipal Building — Camara Municipal Sintra — which gave us a preview of the magical architecture that we would be experiencing.
We made our way back to the train station to catch the city bus, which is really the best and cheapest way to tour the sites. We didn’t have a lot of time so we decided on the two main highlights, Pena Palace and La Quinta Regaleira.
Pena palace is the most famous attraction in Sintra. It was built in 1842 by King Ferdinand ll, who wanted it to look like the setting from an opera with brightly colored walls and mixed architectural styles. There is a large statue of him, about half a kilometer from the palace which overlooks the estate.
It is a long uphill climb from the area where the bus dropped us off, although you can take a shuttle up to the palace, which is helpful for people who have mobility issues. Pena Palace opens at 9:30 am and it’s a good idea to get there early since this is the hottest ticket in town, the number one tourist attraction.
As you get closer the palace comes into view and it is spectacular. Like a castle from a fairy tale with its brightly painted walls in primary colors which only add to its magic. When you pass through the main gate the castle comes alive with its intricate and elaborately designed walls.
We joined the crowd that was wandering around the exterior of the palace, snapping photos and selfies, trying to capture the beauty of the structure. It was very windy so it was a little scary at times (for people like me who are afraid of heights), walking along the outer perimeter with a huge drop to the ground below.
But the amazing view of the surrounding countryside makes it worth the anxiety. You can even see some of the other famous attractions, like the Moorish castle, and La Quinta Regaleira which are close by.
The highlight of Pena Palace is the exterior, the architecture and even the tile work on some of the walls. It is very ornate and something you would expect for royalty.
Inside you get a snapshot of how the residents lived with their equally ornate furnishings. Make sure to check out the “stag room” where aside from the hunting trophies on the walls there is a perfectly scaled model of the Palace.
After a few hours of touring around the palace, we stopped in the gift shop, browsing among the overpriced souvenirs followed by a nice lunch in the restaurant. We decided to walk off some of the calories with a hike through the extensive grounds surrounding the palace.
The Parque de la Pena surrounds the Palacio Nacional and is a heavily forested area along the mountainside with a maze of secret paths featuring caves, bridges, and fountains. It is beautifully laid out with stone pathways, a lot of uphill climbing, and huge rocks covered in moss and lichen. and towering trees covered in ivy.
You will likely come upon a secluded area with a hidden cave known as the Grotto of the Monk where monks used to come to meditate. If you are able to make it to the highest point, Cruz Alta, a large stone cross sits at the top, 529 meters above sea level. It is definitely worth the time to stroll through the grounds and explore the natural treasures.
From the fairy tale castle, we next headed to a mansion that looks like a haunted house from a set in a horror movie. Quinta da Regaleira is a 19th-century Gothic mansion that is surrounded by 4 hectares of extensive gardens featuring grottoes, gargoyles, hidden passageways, caves, and waterfalls. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
It has had numerous owners but it was Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro who hired an architect to makeover the grounds full of the symbols of the ideologies he believed in. The mansion is also known as ‘The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire.’
One of the highlights is the famous Initiation well which has a spiral staircase that leads to a series of secret tunnels. The owner had it built to be used for Tarot initiation rites. Be careful when making your way down the stairs and through the caves and passageways. It can be slippery but the experience is well worth the ticket price of €6.
There is also a beautiful Baroque style chapel on the grounds, which adds to the mystery of the estate that marries pagan symbols with traditional Catholic iconography.
After our day of touring, we headed back to town for a quick change before heading out to dinner.
I would have liked to tour around a little more but the rainy weather put a damper on our plans. People we spoke with at the hotel said we had seen the top two highlights anyway. We were warned though that the summer crowds are a nightmare.
Thank you for reading.
