Sintra: The Best Day Trip From Lisbon
Sintra is a short train journey from Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, and a very popular tourist destination for those visiting the city, making it a perfect day trip, one which I embarked on.
Travelling to Sintra from Lisbon
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Unfortunately, Portugal suffered from train strikes during my visit, which meant that I had to shorten my time in Sintra as I feared not being able to get back to Lisbon, along with my first three trains being cancelled, leaving me to arrive later in the morning than I had prepared for. Despite this, there are many frequent trains running from Lisbon to Sintra, even with the cancellations.
A one-way ticket from Lisbon Entrecampos to Sintra cost €2.80, which are easily bought at the station. There are many ticket machines, as well as helpful workers, at the stations and make sure to stamp your tickets otherwise you risk a fine which they take very seriously.
How to get to Pena Palace
Once I had arrived at Sintra, there were options to take tuk-tuk’s or taxi’s up to Pena palace, I chose to walk as google maps said it was a 30 minute walk but failed to explain the true extent of the hike. Pena Palace sits atop the Serra da Sintra hills at 480 metres amongst the trees and nature. Although the walk is beautiful but hard work, I would suggest taking a tuk-tuk to save time, allowing time to visit the other incredible castles Sintra has to offer that I missed out on.
Despite the hike being incredibly hot and hard work, I felt accomplished and proud of myself for hiking, and to the fact that two Belgian’s I spoke to were very surprised that I walked rather than getting a tuk-tuk like they did. Whether this was a comment on my out of breath state or the fact that the hill is very steep and a long walk, I will never know.
Pena Palace
Pena Palace stands out amongst the green trees, the bright yellow and red stone walls a beacon for visitors.
When planning your visit, be prepared to walk up hills! Even if you decide to take the tuk-tuk, the palace itself is situated further up the hill than the entrance, along with other areas of the palace which are scattered amongst the trees.
Seeing the entrance and thinking I’d made it to the top was in fact not true, after entering the gates the palace is still a fair distance away and up. However there is a bus that takes visitors up and around the site, but the queues are long and I had already sweated my way up, I only had a little bit further to go.
The courtyard, known as the Queen’s Terrace and Courtyard of Arches, sits on the other side of the entrance to the Palace, where the beautiful yellow arched ‘windows’ overlook the green hills of Sintra.
Inside the palace, the rooms are conserved to replicate how these rooms were used, with the same or very similar furniture and decorations. The walk through takes a considerable amount of time, with the amount of people plus the vast number of rooms to view. These rooms consist of bedrooms, dining rooms, dressing rooms and more. The attention to detail the architectures and artists had for this palace is incredible, from small paintings of the palace on the walls, to the intricate ceilings.
My favourite was the emerald green cabinet, carved to perfection. One of the last rooms of the tour, a long sitting room known as the Noble Room, has sofa’s lining the walls, broken up by stunning statues holding lamps. Again, the attention to detail is wonderful and so prominent, an eye-catching room.
Lastly, visitors can walk around one side of the Palace along the walls, although you are likely to be battered by the wind, but well worth it. This view shows a different angle of the Palace, such as the outside of the red building, along with a different view of Sintra.
After leaving the palace walls, this is where I got lost amongst the trees, no surprise. The rest of the area is mainly swallowed by trees, and the map was not that easy to navigate, or perhaps I just was just using it wrong. I took the longest and most difficult route up to the High Cross at the top of the hill. Up steep steps, and through overgrown trees and bushes, only to realise I could have taken a large and easy path that meanders its way up, but ventured that way down.
The High Cross sits amongst a pile of rocks, and the cross itself is a beautifully carved piece of stone.
My next stop was the lakes at the bottom of the Pena Palace site, but realised I had been walking in circles, but eventually managed to stumble across the lakes. This area is a green paradise, with stunning flowers, cute little ducks, and little lakes.
The ticket to Pena Palace also consists of seeing the stables and gardens, which I unfortunately ran out of time to visit. Sintra also has two other beautiful and must see places which I unfortunately did not have time to see, Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of Moors) and the Quinta da Regaleira.
I loved my day trip to Sintra, and would 100% recommend anyone who is going to Portugal, especially Lisbon, to go and see this small town.
