Ever wondered where Portuguese kings and queens went to relax? Sintra is where fog-draped hills hide palaces straight out of storybooks. This half-day escape from Lisbon is full of romantic towers, mystical gardens and buttery pastries.
Departure at 9am, for about 1 hour till Sintra village, UNESCO World Heritage since 1995, unique wines and local sweets. Start your journey with private hotel pickup in Lisbon and head west to the Sintra hills, a lush green escape once favored by kings and poets. This is an opportunity to meet us and talk about this unique experience.
Wander the old village center of Sintra, where narrow cobbled lanes lead past tiled façades, artisan shops and centuries of royal history. Sintra is the third most populated municipality in Portugal, right after Lisbon and Porto. A major tourist destination popular for its picturesqueness, the municipality has several historic palaces, castles, scenic beaches, parks and gardens.
The area includes the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park through which the Sintra Mountains run. The historic center of the Vila de Sintra is famous for its 19th-century Romanticist architecture, historic estates and villas, gardens, and royal palaces and castle, which resulted in the classification of the town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Savor the famous Travesseiro de Sintra (on the outside it has a delicate puff pastry and inside a filling with egg and almond cream), accompanied with a coffee.
Step inside the whimsical National Palace of Pena: a riot of colours and Romantic architecture perched high above the clouds. Built in the 19th century, the National Palace of Pena stands out as the renowned jewel in the crown of the Sintra. The surrounding park, in close harmony with the magical character of the palace, triggers emotions of mystery and discovery. In its nooks and corners, our gaze gets lost amongst its charms.
The coloured tones of the palace, the pinnacle of Romanticism in Portugal and the eternal legacy of Ferdinand II, the King-Artist, opens the doors to the imagination of all those who cross its threshold, with the infinite shades of green painting the surrounding park establishing an idyllic scenario, frequently hidden under the veil of the mists that characterize the Sintra Hills. As if having stepped out of a fairy tale, this has been the place of dreams for all the generation who have passed here and gazed upon its magnificence.
Or choose to explore the enigmatic Quinta da Regaleira, filled with spiral wells, secret tunnels and symbolism tied to the Templars and Freemasonry. Quinta da Regaleira, designed and built in the late 1800s, it reflects the sensibility and cultural, philosophical and scientific interests of the principal owner, António Augusto de Carvalho Monteiro (1848-1920), together with the virtuosity of the Italian architect and scenographer Luigi Manini (1848-1936).
The culture and creativity of these two personalities resulted in an eclectic-revivalist architectural ensemble, with a particular focus on the Manueline, Renaissance, Medieval and Classical styles and some possible connections with the Templar Order.
Drive back to Lisbon meeting point by Sintra Mountain and Cascais to drop off at 2pm.
