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Sintra Home Page - Sintra as a Day Trip - Pena Palace - Moorish Castle - Tourist Bus Guide - Lisbon Guide

Why Visit Sintra?

Lord Byron in 1809 described Sintra as “the most beautiful town in the world” and even today with the advent of mass tourism the small town still retains its charm and appeal. Sintra lies along the narrow flat ridges of the Serra de Sintra and is overlooked by the two radically different royal residences, the Moorish Castle and the feather palace.

The third palace of Sintra lies within the heart of the town with the massive iconic chimneys dominating the skyline of Sintra. Along with the castles there are delightful 19th century mansions, well maintained gardens and enjoyable hill walks. The UNESCO World Heritage Site statues only under pins the historical importance and visitor allure of the town. Let us here at Sintra-Portugal.com be your tourist guide to this wonderful and enthralling town.

 

The Town of Sintra is located within the Serra de Sintra (Sintra mountain range) National Park one of the largest of Portugal. The steep hills causes Sintra to have its own unique micro climate which is a few degrees cooler than Lisbon and combined with the shade of the dense forests Sintra can be a welcoming break from the intense heat of summer.

 

The municipality of Sintra is the second most populated area of Portugal, after Lisbon, but the locals prefers to keep the status as a town. Where you may ask do all of the residence live, but “Sintra Town” extends down the train line with  the majority of the residence living in apartment blocks near the penultimate train station.

It is a pleasant 1 mile walk from the final station on the Lisbon / Sintra line to the historic area of Sintra. The Moorish castle and Pena Palace are reached by a demanding uphill walk but luckily a (expensive) bus service links the four locations (the train station, the historic town, the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace)

 

From the top of the Pena Palace or the Moorish Castle; Lisbon can be viewed to the east, the Atlantic to the west and to the south the mouth of the Tejo and the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, the views, as possible predicted, are fantastic. Sintra as a town perches on the sides of the Serra de Sintra (Sintra Mountain Range) vast rocky outcrops which are covered in lush green vegetation. The municipality of Sintra is the second most populated areas, after Lisbon, but prefers to keep its status as a town, the majority of the residual areas surround the penultimate train station.

Sintra Tourist Guide Navigation

Getting Started Introduction Why Visit Sintra? When To visit? Weather Image Guide Airport Guide*

Attractions Palácio Nacional Moors Castle Palácio Pena Quinta da Regaleira Town Hall Convento Capucho

Attractions Town Hall Parque da Pena Santuário da Peninha Quinta da Bela Vista Sintra Tram Palácio Monserrate

Guides Lisbon to Sintra Airport to Sintra Sintra Day Trip Tourist Bus Rental Car Guide* King-Fernando II

Portugal Lisbon Guide* Cascais Guide* Evora Guide* Obidos Sesimbra* * external website