Day trip: Lisbon to Sintra
Lisbon is a neat city but in my opinion, one only needs 2 days there (more on that in another post), My favorite day trip from Lisbon is going to Sintra and thanks to the fantastic trains in Portugal, it is very easy to do! In this post I am going to go over the sights to see and how to get there (including how to grab your bus in Sintra once you depart the train).
Sintra
Sintra is a darling little village 15 miles outside of Lisbon and is accessible by train, taxi, or rental car. I chose to take the train because it is very inexpensive (roughly $2.50!….that’s it!) and easy to navigate your way to the train station in Lisbon. The trip takes about 40 minutes as the train stops multiple times (15) along the route with Sintra being the last stop on the line. Sintra itself is a fun place to explore aside from the normal sights one might be planning to visit, I’ll go over each of these places towards the end of the article but here is the list of the most popular sightseeing areas:
!. Pena Palace
2. Moorish Castle
3. Biesten Palace
4. Sintra National Palace
5. Regaleira Palace and gardens
6. Seteais Palace
7. Monserrate Palace
How to get there:
Rossio Train Station
To get to Sintra, you’ll want to depart from the Rossio Train Station. The building is unassuming and you might not immediately recognize it as a train station so look for a Starbucks just to the right of the station and you’ll know you’re there! Once inside go up the escalators to buy your ticket and to get to the train platform. I stood in line to get my ticket because it seemed like many foreigners were having difficulty using the ticket machines. There were employees there helping them but the line moves quickly and seeing a ticket attendant ensures you are buying the right ticket, etc. The platform is steps away from the ticketing booth and you can visit this site for timetables and schedules.
Sintra Train Station :
Where to grab your bus to the palaces?
Private transportation up the mountain is not allowed. You must either walk or take a public bus. (Walking sounds like a good idea until you realize it is all uphill and the road is extremely narrow making it dangerous in my opinion as tour buses and tuk-tuks leave very little space for you to walk on the shoulder). I recommend taking the bus..
When you exit the train station in Sintra, you will see a lot of buses lined up and to be honest, it can be really confusing! Some of the buses are private charters (they seemed to be mostly parked to the left as you exit the station) while the others are for the public to use (that’s you). Exit the station to the right to catch your bus. The bus number you catch all depends on where you are going. There is a 434 bus and a 435 bus. These busses have different routes up the mountain and it just depends on which sights you want to see/where you want to start.
I knew I was going to skip Pena Palace so I took the 434 bus to get the the Moorish Castle and the 435 bus to get to The Quinta da Regaleria. These buses are hop on/hop off and cost $12.50 (euro). One ticket is good for both bus lines but do NOT lose your receipt! You have to show it to the driver each time you get on or off either bus so it’s important not to lose your receipt. Below is a map that shows you the routes that buses 434 and 435 take. As you can see, there is plenty to do! Sintra is popular so it will be busy during peak travel months. I recommend arriving early and researching in advance. You might not want to see all of these places so check them out ahead of time. I skipped Pena because it is so busy and popular and it didn’t seem all that worth it to me but your mileage may vary. There are different entry requirements for each sight and you should buy your tickets in advance whenever possible.
This is the train station as seen from across the street (where you can get a good burger)
What to see:
Let me preface this by saying I am not the type of traveler who tries to cram everything in. I am selective about the sights I see because I want to enjoy them without exhausting myself so I only visited 2 of the sights I’m about to mention. To see all of the places on this list, you might consider doing 2 days in Sintra (stay the night!)
Pena Palace
Photo by Mark Lawson on Unsplash
Likely the most popular sight in Sintra, the Pena Palace requires reservations and careful planning. The Palace sits on top of the mountain and is colorful and whimsically designed. Built by Ferdinand the ll., it is a classic example of Romanticism. Please visit this site to read more about it and purchase your tickets. Your ticket reservation is good for the day and time of your reservation. It is recommended that you reserve 3 days in advance and plan your arrival carefully to align with your ticketed entrance time. You can either choose to see the palace or the gardens or a combined ticket to see it all.
Moorish Castle
The Moorish Castle can be reached by bus 434 and is great for those who like to do a bit of hiking (mellow hiking). You enter the site via a path that wends through the forest and there are interesting points of history along the way.. This part of the site is free to enter, you only need a ticket to visit inside the castle walls.
The beautiful trail leading up to the castle walls
The castle was originally built during Islamic occupation and later sacked by the Christians. The Knights Templar were very active in the area and at one point were in charge of the village of Sintra and surrounding areas. Archeological excavations have found that this site has been used since the Neolithic era!
Cisterns to store grain
As the site was excavated, bones were unearthed and it was not apparent whio the bones belonged to (Muslim or Christian population) so this was built to entomb the bones.
Once you reach the entrance to the castle walls, you need to show the docent your ticket. There are restrooms and a snack shack (premade sandwiches, soft drinks, ice cream, etc) at the entrance. From there you can explore the castle walls and see the amazing views from above. This isn’t the most stroller-friendly area so you might have to carry kiddos once inside the walls.
Quinta da Regaleira Palace and gardens:
My next stop of the day was to the fantastic Quinta da Regaleira. I rode the 434 bus loop and caught the 435 bus back in Sintra. This bus was smaller and had no air-conditioning but the ride isn’t all that long. This place is wildly fantastical and is so fun to wander around. The original owner was a 19th-century rich guy with an amazing imagination. The labyrinth of walking paths throughout the gardens makes you feel like you are Alice in Wonderland. Some believe the owner held mystical and secretive meetings for the Knight’s Templar here. Perhaps the most famous area of the gardens is the Poco Iniciático.. or Initiation Well. There is usually a line to get into the well. The myth is that it was built for the initiation of the Knights Templar. The stone well is deep and you walk down the multiple flights of stairs arriving at the rose compass on the floor at the bottom. It is all very mysterious but super cool to see!
There is a hand-dug cave system and small ponds all about the property and you get the sense that money can make your imagination a reality. The house/palace is quite extravagant as well. I did not go inside because I was having too much fun in the gardens and the interior of most palaces look about the same to me so I was completely satisfied exploring the exterior.
Tickets are 12 euros for adults and you can purchase them here. This was the highlight of my day visiting Sintra. I liked that you could explore and never really feel like you were amongst the tourism crowds.
Monserrate Palace
While I did not visit this particular sight, it is by all accounts beautiful and has an interesting history. In 1540 a friar ordered that a hermitage be built on this hill above Sintra. It was inspired by the Montserrat in Barcelona (you should go there, too, if you can! It’s neat!). The property then came under the ownership of the local hospital and it was meant to grow agricultural products for the hospital. Later, the big earthquake hit Portugal and the buildings fell into serious disrepair. A short while afterward, Gerard of Visme, a British trader, rented the property and had the castle built. The next person to become a tenant of the property was the British writer William Beckford. He commissioned the restoration of the gardens and the buildings. After a succession of renters, Francis Cook, a British trader and art collector took over the property and built the palace.
The garden contains species from around the world and the palace is done in the Romanticism style. In 1949, the Portuguese government took over ownership and a few years later it was marked as an area of public interest, becoming part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1995. This is a very basic description but you can read a more detailed history of Monserrate and buy your tickets here.
National Palace of Sintra
Photo by Seifeddine Dridi on Unsplash
The first document referencing the existence of the palace occurred in 1281. The castle has hosted pretty much every king and queen of Portugal throughout the country’s history, has survived the 1755 earthquake (though it was damaged and had to be rehabilitated), and is an example of the Mudejar style of architecture (moor meets Christian). In the 1930s’ the palace began to open its doors to the public as a museum and in 1995, it became a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site registry. Visitors can get a glimpse of royal life as they tour the museum. For tickets, visit this site.
I recommend spending two days in Sintra. I did not have time to meander about the streets of the town but it is a charming village and well worth a stay. I hope this article helped you to plan your visit to Sintra!
