Sintra
Portugal City Travel Guide: Sintra
Sintra
City Guide I
Turismo I Arrival
I Accommodation
I Entertainment
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Palácio Nacional de Sintra
©Dias dos Reis |
- Former summer residence of Portugal's kings.
- Stunning views and natural scenery.
- UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Hillside palaces, castles and villas.
- Interesting museums, cafes & restaurants.
- 32km northwest of central Lisbon.
- Recommended half or full day trip.
Sintra, for centuries the summer residence
of Portugal's kings and aristocrats, makes for an rewarding day
trip from Lisbon or Cascais
or as a relaxing base for a longer stay. Sintra's beautiful surroundings
of forested hills are the perfect setting for the town's many elegant
palaces, castles and museums. There are threee distinct parts to
the town: Estefânia (around the station), Sintra-Vila (the
old town) and São Pedro de Sintra (for shopping and budget
accommodation).
Festivals
26-28 June. S. Pedro's annual festival with craftsmen's fair, cattle
show, popular dance exhibitions, musical competitions, serenades,
etc.
Travel Guides To Portugal
Hotels in Sintra
Palacio
de Seteais Hotel
Tivoli
Sintra Hotel
|
Azulejos (Tiles)
Palácio Nacional |
The Palácio Nacional or Paço Real (open
Mon-Tue & Thu-Sun 10am-5.30pm; entrance charge) is Sintra's
main tourist attraction and a former royal residence dating back
to the fourteenth century.
The palace is an exotic fusion of Gothic, Moorish and Renaissance
styles topped with two distinctive chimney cones. Look out for some
of the oldest Azulejos (Painted Tiles) in the country and the fine
marble fountain in the Sala dos Árabes, the heraldic ceiling
paintings in the Sala dos Brasões and the famous painted
magpies in the Sala das Pêgas.
The hilltop Palácio Nacional de Pena (open
Tues-Sun 10am-4.30pm; small entrance fee) dates from the nineteenth
century and is a bizarre mixture of outlandish architectural styles
including Moorish minarets and Gothic battlements. Entrance to the
palace is through the Parque da Pena - full of small lakes,
black swans and exotic plants.
The Castelo dos Mouros - Castle of the Moors - are the restored
ruins of an eighth century Moorish castle with stunning views of
the area.
(open Tues-Sun 9am-5pm or 7pm in summer; small entrance fee).
The Quinta da Regaleiria (Tue-Sun) estate is accessible
by tours, which can be booked on (Tel:219 106 650). The grandiose
estate was built at the turn of the twentieth century for António
Carvalho Monteiro, who had made his fortune in Brazil. The Palácio
dos Milhões and the superb gardens are the main attractions.
The Palácio de Seteais built in the late eighteenth
century is now a luxurious hotel and plays host to classical concerts
during Sintra's Festiva de Música.
Monserrate (open daily 9am-5pm or 7pm in summer) is a charming
eighteenth century quinta or estate associated with two previous
English residents: William Beckford and Sir Francis Cook. The wealthy
Beckford fled here in 1793 to escape a homosexual scandal back in
Britain and fifty years later the equally rich Cook built a grand
Victorian house and laid out the exotic gardens.
The Convento dos Capuchos (or Cork Convent) is a tiny hermitage
built in the sixteenth century for Franciscan friars. Its minute
cells, chapel and refectory are cut from the rock and lined with
cork - hence its name. Tours to the monastery are available daily
but must be booked in advance, details at the turismo.
The Sintra area has some interesting museums well worth a visit.
Expect to pay a small entrance fee:
The Museu do Brinquendo (Tue-Sun 10am-6pm) houses an international
collection of toys from around the world built up over the years
by João Arbués Moreira.
The Museu de Arte Moderna (Tue-Sun 10am-6pm) opened in 1997
in Sintra's former casino in Estefânia. The diverse collection
includes works by Kossof, Lichtenstein, Pollock and Warhol.
The Teatro Virtual (Tue-Sun) is a small cinema showing a
receation of the early Portuguese voyages to Japan.
Sintra along with Estoril and
Cascais plays host to the annual classical Festiva de Música
from mid-June to mid-July.
Sintra Tourist Offices
23 Praça da República.
Tel: 219 231 157
Fax: 219 235 176
9am - 8pm; June-Sept; 9am-7pm Oct-May
Sintra Train Station
Tel: 219 241 627
9am - 8pm; June-Sept; 9am-7pm Oct-May
Getting to Sintra
Local buses to Cascais (#417), Estoril (#418) and Mafra.
Frequent trains from Lisbon's Rossio station.
Recommended Accommodation in Sintra
Book Accommodation in and around Sintra
Palacio
de Seteais Hotel
Tivoli
Sintra Hotel
Pousadas
Villas
& Self-catering
Hotels in Portugal – Bookings
Hotels in Portugal – HotelsPortugal
Hotels
in Portugal – Almeida Hotels Hostels
in Portugal - Hostelworld.com Hotels in Portugal - Accommodation Online Hotels in Portugal - Agoda
Tulhas Bar & Restaurante
Rua Gil Vicente 4
Tel: 219 232 378
Speciality veal with Madeira.
Thurs-Tues noon-3:30pm and 7-10pm
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The average high June temperatures for Portugal is between 22C and 26C.
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Sintra
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