A Complete Guide of What to do in Sintra

Sintra is a charming fairy tale city located outside of Lisbon, Portugal. Once a sanctuary for royals, Sintra is a cooing hilly town full of majestic palatial residences, sweeping views, and scenic pine forest escapes. If you’re wondering what to do in Sintra, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s the complete guide of what to do in Sintra, whether you’re doing a day trip from Lisbon or extended stay.

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Transcript

 what to do in sintra

what to do in sintra

[00:00:00] Hello? Hello, jet setters. How is your October going? I hope you're getting into the full spirit with maybe some pumpkin carving or some apple picking something fun. I am just loving the cooler weather and the crunching of leaves. When I go walking outside. Yeah, that's what I've been up to. This week. I want to talk with you about Sintra Portugal. 

I absolutely fell in love with this destination. I had researched it quite a bit because we had our destination wedding there. And I wanted to make sure that I would have no bad surprises when I was there. So it's always so gratifying to know that when you actually get to a destination, it is the way that you were imagining it would be. And [00:01:00] Sintra was all of that for me and more. 

I feel like. It. It's like my kindred city. Almost I don't know. I've as I've grown older, I've started to becoming more. Appreciative of like forest settings and Hills and just different environments that I did not grow up really thinking about or appreciating. Sintra was all of that and more for me. 

So let's talk about what to do when you're in. Sintra. First we'll just talk about what Sintra is. It is a charming fairytale city located outside of Lisbon. It's about 30 minutes away and you can get there very easily by train or car. And this. Town used to be a sanctuary for Royals during the summer months. So as a result, it's this cool [00:02:00] hilly town is full of majestic palatial residents, sweeping views and scenic pine forest escapes. 

So most people visit Sintra on a day trip from Lisbon, but I would highly encourage you to try to spend more than a day in Sintra to explore it because there are so many amazing things there. And the good thing is you can see and do quite a bit. Within probably three full days. So we're going to go through some activities, one by one and the first. 

Is to travel up one of Sintra's highest peaks to see peanut palace or Pena palace. I'm not sure how to pronounce But it is probably the most iconic landmark in Sintra. This palace is marked by yellow and red. So you can't [00:03:00] miss it. And it exemplifies 19th century romanticism style. It sits on top of one of the highest Hills in Sintra. And so it's a unique blend of bright colors decorative details and mythological

Peanut palace was once a chapel built in the 12th century. a monastery followed at the order of king Manuel the first. It became a palace in the 19th century after king Ferdinand, the second acquired the land and sought to build a summer residence for his family. The last Royal resident of the palace was queen Amelie of Orleans. The interior of the palace has been restored to reflect the decor of her time in the palace around 1910, which was the time in which the portuguese nobility fled to brazil during[00:04:00]

Because this is arguably the most popular site to visit in Sintra be prepared for large crowds, especially in the spring and summer months. I would recommend trying to visit as early or as late in the day as possible. And I would also try to avoid the times between 10 30 through 3:00 PM, which is when coach tours arrive. 

It's a steep hike up to the palace. So bus tuk tuk, or car is recommended. Personally, we took the tuk tuk and it was great. You do pay a little bit more with that, but it's really fun. And I just think it's a better way because actually. We were going up there and there was a car accident. Everybody was okay. But the car basically flipped and was parked in the middle of the street, going up to the palace. And these are one way [00:05:00] streets they're narrow. There was a huge backup of, tourists and buses and all these people wanting to see the palace and they couldn't. But luckily, because we were in a tuk tuk, we just scooted around the car. And kept going and we got to go to the palace and everything was great. That's why I prefer tuk tuk. 

You can always walk down the mountain for a less strenuous outdoor activity. That's what we chose to do. So get the tuk tuk up and then walk back So it's a little bit easier that way. And the other recommendation I would give is to get the palace and park ticket. You can just get a ticket just for the palace without the park, but quite frankly, I enjoyed the park even more than the palace. So I feel like it's worth the extra money. 

And so that brings me to point number two. 

Activity number two is to walk around the Pena Palace Park. So it [00:06:00] really, this is a full day because there's a lot you can do a half day if you wanna squeeze it all in. But doing a tour followed by walking around the park is ideal because. It's a nice stark contrast to the castle. So the castle is beautiful and worth seen, but it's very crowded and there's a lot of people seeing it obviously.

So what's nice is to actually enjoy the park, which is much more spread out, not nearly as crowded and quite peaceful and tranquil. A little background on this park when King Ferdinand II built the palace, he also created the park, which spreads across 200 hectares. The park is filled with imported trees and plants from around the world.

There are several highlights within the park worth visiting if you have time. [00:07:00] So one of them is called Cruise Alta. It's a stone cross that sits on the highest peak of the park, which is 529 meters above sea level. It also offers one of the best panoramic views of the centra countryside and of the palace.

Then there's the Valley of the lakes . And this area Sintra probably my favorite. It's this haven for birds, and there's all these little bridges and mini waterfalls and little like caves and grottos, and it. There's just all these little birds that congregate and live there like ducks and geese and things like that.

It's just, it's really unique. And then there is also the chalet of The Countess of Edla, also known as the House of Indulgence. It's a small alpine inspired cottage that was built between 1864 and 1869 [00:08:00] for King Ferdinand the second's second wife. She was an opera singer and her name was Elise Hensler. Next, you definitely have to try Ginja.

It's a liquer and it's a symbol of Portuguese culture. Now, if you're visiting Sintra and you go somewhere else in Portugal, you will be able to find ginja. It's not specific to Sintra but it's just fun. It's a Portuguese liquer made by infusing Ginja berries. Or sour cherries in alcohol with sugar, clove, and or cinnamon.

There's not really one particular place that you have to try it at. There are little random stands all over in Sintra as well as other towns in Portugal. But you would just walk up to a stand and ask for a ginja shot, and you can try it in a little milk chocolate or white chocolate shot glass. So [00:09:00] you have the little.

Taste of cherry, followed by a little taste of chocolate. So it's fun. I found the liquer to be a little bit medicinal, almost like a cherry cough syrup that I would take when I was a kid, but it was fun and I like trying it, and it could make for a great souvenir if you are checking a bag. Next is to take in the sweeping views of Sintra from the castle of the Moors.

Also known as Castello Dos Muoros. Built in a rocky outcrop of Sintra's Hills lies the castle, which dates back to the eighth century. The high location of this spot provides the more, or provided the Moors with a vantage point for spotting potential attacks. In 1147, the castle finally succumbed to the forest after Christian [00:10:00] Crusaders attacked it.

Now, when King Ferdin and II came into power and he built the palace and the park, he also actually partially restored the castle, and he made it like a show piece for his newly constructed palace. So it's very cool today you can climb up the defensive towers, you can peer through mossy battlements, and you can witness spectacular views, not only of Sintra, but also of the palace.

It's definitely recommended and you can actually do that after exploring the park. So 1, 2, 3, if that could be a whole day together if you wanted to do. The palace, the park, then the castle, all of which are contained on the same hill. Now, if you're walking [00:11:00] down the hill after you stop at the castle, I would recommend stopping by Villa Sassetti

it's one of the most beautiful and least known residences in Sintra You hike down from the castle and you go to the parking lot. And in that parking lot there will be a little sign that has a few different trails or routes, and you will see a sign that says Villa Sassetti so follow that and you'll just keep going, walking down, but you'll be walking off of the paved.

Roadway and you can't enter the house, which is the one thing that I was really bummed about. However, it's a beautiful example of Mediterranean architecture or it has like a Mediterranean aesthetic. And it's an [00:12:00] example of Romanesque Lombardi architecture. I am not an architect. I don't know all the styles.

I just, when I see something and I think it's pretty then that I wanted to share it with people. So the villa is surrounded by a garden and the whole property. Totals 1.2 hectares so construction of this villa started in 1890 with Victor Carlos CEI as the original owner, and it's just a nice little stop that you can make on your way down.

Okay, number six I touched on it before, but number six is ride through the winding roads of Sintra in a tuk tuk. So Sintra is a very walkable town, but is, it's extremely hilly. So needless to say, you're either gonna be burning some calories or you need a little extra help from a tuk tuk. [00:13:00] And not only is it really fun to ride in, but it is very helpful to be in a compact vehicle because of the situation I mentioned before.

Another reason to ride a tuk tuk is Uber was terribly unreliable. I, we tried to order an Uber several times while we were there and the Uber drivers would constantly cancel and it's completely unreliable. Do not use Uber while you're in Sintra you can do a taxi, but I didn't seem to find them as easily unless you were near the train station.

Whereas I found tuk tuks were a lot more prevalent. So I would vote for that. And like I said, most of the stuff is walkable. It's just, you know where you wanna get your exercise, how much exercise you wanna get in. Okay. Next up we have savor Sintra's Sweet Treats at Casa Piriquitas. [00:14:00] Queijadas and travesseiros are most famously made in Sintra.

They are little sweets. Now, first of all, Portugal has some amazing little sweet treats. However, the Queijadas and travesseiros are particularly, Originating in Sintra or their most popular in Sintra. So those are the two must tries while you're at least in Sintra and then there are other great baked goods and sweet treats that you can try outside of Sintra namely the Pateias de natas.

Those are so good, but you could get those say in Lisbon. All right, so a queijada is a small suite that use. Cheese, eggs, milk, and powdered sugar. And a travesseiro is a crispy treat that combines puff, pastry and cream made from almonds and egg yolks, and that word travesseiro , which I'm sure I'm [00:15:00] mispronouncing, but it translates to pillow or cushion because that's how the little sweet treat looks.

So I particularly recommend getting them from Casa Piriquita in Sintra it's not only a charming bakery with pink walls and checkered floors, which is just adorable, but it is historically significant. It was founded in 1862, about 160 years ago. The original owners were a husband and wife, team Amaro Do Santos and Constantia Gomez and Piriquita came from the nickname that King Carlos the first gave to Constantia because she was quite short.

And Piriquita means short. So it was just her little nickname and the king. So this little bakery is just a stone throw away [00:16:00] from the National Palace, which I'll talk about later. But the king would basically walk over to this little pastry shop and he would get the Queijadas and visit with the owners.

And so the shop is still owned and run today by the family's sixth generation and. It's just really a cool piece of history, and they're really great sweet treats. Next, we have discovered the mystery in lore behind Quinta de Regaleira and the initiation. Well, now, the whole time I was in Sintra, I could not pronounce this properly and I still can't.

I don't know why I have such a trouble saying it. It's Regal, and then e i r A. So Miguel, Regaleira. Ugh. I just I'm terrible at this. I'm sorry. Sometimes I [00:17:00] just can't pronounce it. But this place is not to be missed. Don't skip it because of my mispronunciation. Please. It is a 16th century property that features gothic, pinnacles, gargoyles, and tower.

It's known as the Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire. The residence features a palace, chapel, and a large park with lakes, grottos, benches, and fountains. This place was first owned by the Viscountess of Regaleira but it became the estate that it's known as today. That's for hectares, and because it was bought by Carvhalho Montero the Millionaire, and he basically renovated it and added to it in 1892.

So with the help of Italian architect Luigi Manini [00:18:00] Montero added all these architectural features related to Alchemy, Masonry, the Knights Templar, and the Rosicruicians. Much of the construction was completed in 1910. And so it reflects a blend of influences from Roman Gothic Renaissance and manualin styles.

So it's just a really cool, unique blend of architecture. It's, it feels super mysterious with those influences from the masonry, the Knight's Templer, the Rosicruicians. All of that just makes everything feel very. There's just this air of mystery around it. And what makes it feel even more mysterious is when you happen upon the initiation.

Well, you could spend tons of time just exploring the park because it's a very large park with grottos and benches and such. But if you're gonna see one thing outside of visiting the interior of the Quinta, I would definitely [00:19:00] say visit the initiation. . It's got a really unique little history and it's super fun to walk down.

It just it, Okay, let me tell you about it. , so it never served as a water source, so he had this built but fully knowing that it would never be like an actual water. Well, instead he used it for ceremonial purposes. That included tarot initiation. It's a 27 meter spiral staircase and it's this gorgeous stone and it's covered in moss and it looks again straight out of a fairytale book, and it has several small landings so you can actually descend down the 27 meters and occasionally there's little outlook.

And what's cool about this too is that the spacing of these landings combined with the number of steps in the stairs are somehow linked to tarot mysticism. [00:20:00] I don't know how, I don't know the details, but. It was very deliberate in its design, so once you've descended into the well, it actually leads you through these tunnels and these grottos with little waterfalls and underground walkways.

It's just really cool. I would've spent a lot more time here, but it started pouring on us, which kind of made me bummed out. So we didn't spend as much time here as we could, but it was absolutely still worth. Okay, now of nearby, nearby, the Quinta de Regal area is the Seteais oh, how do we say, this Seteais restaurant.

And it is part of the Seteais Palace, which is now known as the Tivoli Seteais Hotel. [00:21:00] And so you've gotta walk over and at least have a cocktail or a meal, if not, actually stay at this hotel, which I'll get into later. But right now, for this one, I just wanna talk about the restaurant and the dining experience here.

So before dinner, I highly recommend going to their cocktail bar or their terrace. And enjoying a lovely cocktail. First of all, the actual cocktails that we had was, were the most unique, if not beautiful cocktails I think I've ever seen. Jordan got some sort of like lime gin or lime vodka drink, and it, I, you gotta go onto my website to see it.

A picture of. But the guy fashioned a little cup out of ice, out of [00:22:00] shaved ice. And then in that cup he placed all these little lime zest zested lime and it, and so it sat in this ice cup, which then sat on the top of the cocktail. It was the coolest thing. I, it's hard for me to describe it. Go to my website and see the picture of it.

So beautiful cocktails and you can choose to dine. Go to the cocktail lounge inside, which has these really fun, whimsical frescos on the walls of like a circus. Or you can dine on the terrace or have your cocktails on the terrace, which is equally as beautiful. There's these bright, beautiful flowers on the terrace.

It overlooks a lemon tree field. It overlooks the pool, the backyard courtyard. And we even saw a rogue peacock Roman about back there. So that was really fun. [00:23:00] And every chair on the terrace has this beautiful woven quilt on it. They also have features that they can wheel out next to you if it's chilly.

It's just it's perfect. It's cozy, it's inviting. I loved it. So you can also enjoy with your cocktail, little small dishes of nuts, chips and salty snacks. They always brought that with your cocktails, which I love. I know that's maybe not that unique. I know it's more common in Europe to have that, but it just made my day

It was really fun. I highly recommend, and then when your reservation is ready, you can either stay on the terrace or you can go inside to dinner. We chose to go inside because I wanted to see another space of the palace. And inside the dining area is of course, even more fresco walls and luxurious tapestries and chandeliers.

And for dinner, you can go with a tasting menu or you [00:24:00] can order a la carte. and the meals are just beautifully displayed, just like the cocktails. And they were tasty too. So 10 out of 10 Seteais restaurant. Next we have Monserrate Palace, and there were so many place, There were so many places that we went to that I just adored.

But I think Montserrate has to be my favorite, at least, of the palaces. And I'm a bit biased because we got married there, , but I picked that place for a reason because I knew how beautiful it was from the pictures and videos that I saw ahead of time, and it did not disappoint well once I was there in person.

So Monserrate Palace is this dreamy 17th century Moorish style palatial villa in Sintra and like the, like other. Royal Residences, It too served as [00:25:00] a summer resort of the Portuguese Court. There is no more of a unique building in Sintra than at Montserrate because this villa features whimsical Arabian design and is surrounded by classical English gardens that were commissioned by English.

The English, Sir Francis Cook. There's a formal lawn that leads up to the villa. There's a beautiful rose garden and there are botanical gardens comprised of a thousand different species. Here's another reason why I like it, so obviously just a gorgeous setting, but then I also love the significance of the location.

Legend says that the villa. Lies where an old chapel used to sit within the Luna Mons the mountains of the moon. It's said that the area symbolizes a mythological [00:26:00] hiding place for the goddess of the hunt, nature and the moon, aka Diana. And if you're familiar with mythology, that name might sound familiar.

In Roman times, Diana was known as Cynthia, which people say has come to be known as Present Day Sintra so Cynthia Sintra so obviously I love the mysticism associated with this destination, and it's just exquisite now outside of the palace. Is a large park with a lake, several springs and fountains, grottos and lush greenery.

And within this forestry lies some chapel ruins. And those are beautiful. I think I've mentioned this before, but anytime there's castle ruins or ruins of any kind, I don't it that are half overgrown by nature. I'm just obsessed with. [00:27:00] So that is where we had to have our ceremony. So we actually did not get married inside of the palace.

We instead got married inside of the chapel ruins out in the forest, which was just enchanting. So they say that the chapel was left and ruined by the 1755 Great Lisbon Earthquake. And if you go to Portugal, there's quite a bit of buildings and places that were actually affected by this great earthquake.

So you'll hear about this probably as if you go to the Lisbon area. So anyway the ruins were like overtaken by nature and there were even like roots growing in and out and around the structure. So it was just, it was perfect. All right. Next we have the [00:28:00] Sintra National Palace. That is the palace that I mentioned is close to Casa Piriquita and Sintra National Palace .

Is actually the best preserved medieval royal residents in Portugal. It is known as Town Palace and it's located smack in the heart of Old Town Sintra it's the perfect spot for meeting up if with people, if you're. If you're in a group and you have to meet, it's hard to miss and it's you really can't miss it.

It's got these two giant domes the like kind of cones, actually cone chimneys that come out of it and. Like I said, it is the best preserved medieval royal residents in Portugal, so you can't miss it. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site that was once a castle that was then turned into a palace. [00:29:00] Much of the palace dates back to King John the first, around 1415.

Upon touring, you can explore the Arab room, which is a tiled room with a Moorish fountain in the center. You can explore the large kitchens with the cone shaped chimneys, which was very cool. And you can also visit the impressive domed coat of arms room. That room was by far my favorite. It. It was so elaborate.

The entire walls are covered in these gorgeous white and blue Portuguese tile motifs, and then the ceiling is this giant dome of this like gilded gold. It's. Very impressive. And then there's also the swan room, which is very cool. It's this arched ceiling with that's covered in swan paintings, [00:30:00] which is very fun.

And there are these giant fireplaces in that room too. So I imagine that was maybe where they had. Guest welcomings and maybe some parties and things like that. So the details that are preserved inside this palace are truly amazing. There's details to see everywhere, especially on the walls and the floors and the ceilings.

Next up, I don't know if you know this, but Portugal actually has quite a few Michelin star restaurants. Sintra actually has. Several of them. So if you are a foodie and you want to dine at a Michelin Star restaurant, Sintra's got a couple options for you. So nearby, it's still nearby. Sintra is a Marriott property called Pena Longa Resort, and they actually, within that property have two different Michelin star restaurants as well as two additional re.

Run by [00:31:00] world renowned chefs who hold multiple Michelin stars. Midori is the only Asian restaurant in Portugal to be awarded at Michelin Star and Lab by chef Sergi Arola is the second Michelin star restaurant at this resort. Midori offers Japanese cuisine with a Portuguese. In a bright and airy dining room that overlooks the Sintra's Mountains and Lab by Sergi Arola is a small restaurant concept with only 22 seats serving a highly innovative and intimate experience.

Now, unfortunately, during our stay, we were unable to get a reservation with one of these restaurants. However, there did become an opening for the restaurant called Arola. Which is the, another restaurant run by Sergi Arola so he, it's his namesake restaurant. It's not a [00:32:00] Michelin star restaurant, but it is run by a Michelin star chef, so I'll take it right now a role.

The Arola menu features creative and contemporary twists on Portuguese cuisine, which I loved. His approach to Mediterranean tapas is delicious. I've course opted for the prefix menu. I love going with prefix menus. You get, it gets a showcase of different tastes and flavors and some of the best offerings from the chef, in my opinion.

And it's just more fun to me. And I like all the wine pairings too. . So we started this meal with a delicious tropical passion fruit mango martini drink. It was so good. And we actually tried to record the the bartender making it. and we did record it, but it involved so many ingredients that I had either never heard of, or brands that are only [00:33:00] available in Europe that I think were gonna be hard pressed to recreate it at home, unfortunately.

We could try . So to start the meal portion of our dinner, we had this bruschetta type of dish and it was good, but it was like, okay. I'm not like blown away, but it was yummy. But one of the highlights was then what came next. It was this coconut shrimp with curry sauce, and I know that maybe sounds basic, but it was absolutely incredible.

The curry sauce was next level, and the coconut shrimp was just like perfectly crisp and fresh. Next was burrata which. Can always go for burrata and what was really cool about the burrata is that it had these little balsalmic like caviar balls on it that would pop in your mouth.

Very fun. For our mains, they gave us fresh sauce, salad, and [00:34:00] traditional squid risotto. It was very dark in color, which I found a bit intimidating, but it tasted good. I was just worried about it making my whole mouth like black . And finally our dessert was this fluffy, tropical ice cream, whipped cream type of thing.

I, it was hard to describe basically it was surrounded by this like wispy, froth, but then when you got into the center, it was ice cream. It was so good. Okay, now I'm really hungry. Next up we have, you've, while you're in Portugal, or really just anywhere in Portugal you need to try some port wine.

Right. And if you're in Sintra you can try it at bar. do Binho now Port. As you may have heard, it's a sweet red fortified wine from Portugal and it's generally enjoyed as a dessert wine because of its sweetness. But when in Portugal, we need to try their port right? , [00:35:00] so you don't have to be in Sintra to try it.

But if you are in Sintra and want to try port, I recommend going to bar do. The reason why is because it is set directly across the street from Sintra National Palace. It's got the best views of the palace. It's technically a liquor store that happens to offer port tastings and it sells lots of port.

And I will admit the tastings are pricey because, but it's because of where we're located. And frankly, I was fine with paying more in order to have the best seats in the house. In front of the castle, so you taste four different ports. All of them are aged at different time periods, so you can actually learn about what happens to the port the longer it ages, and you can taste the difference as you go, which I thought was really interesting.

It was also nice because your [00:36:00] server explains the port making process and he explain. What the culture is behind it. So it was a fun activity. Next is a little bit more generic. It's just explore Sintra old town in the city center. Most of the town's, restaurants, cafes, and shops are all located in Old Town, which is very centrally located within Sintra

like I said, if you're trying to find Old Town, just find the National Palace and you're right there. So you can spend some time walking around the cobblestone streets through the winding hillside roads. Try some food drinks, go souvenir shopping, admire the alleyways, and yeah, just have a scenic little stroll.

Okay, I mentioned this earlier, but we gotta stay in a palace, at least for one night, right? So going back to Seteais I recommend staying at Palacio de Seteais, which [00:37:00] like I said before, is now known as Tivoli Palacio de Seteais. So on our first night in Sintra we stayed at this palace, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and also a five star luxury hotel.

Now, Seteais was built between 1783 and 1787 for the Dutch console, Daniel Gildemeester. On lands that were granted by the Marquis of palm ball, this romantic palace features period architecture that showcases the elegance and aura of the 17th century rooms contain ornate furnishings while common rooms and ballrooms highlights stunning tapestries al frescos.

When you check in, you're greeted with port and quintessential centra treats, which were divine before checking out. Enjoy a peaceful, luxurious breakfast. In the dining room for breakfast, there's this large indulgent display of buffet items including [00:38:00] yogurt, fruit, fresh honeycomb, locks, local breads, pastries, cheeses, and more hot items, including egg dishes were made to order in any style, and it's just a delightful experience and we only opted to stay there one night.

You could easily stay there the full time, but. Once you're there and you've experienced it, one night can be sufficient if you want to then move into a more centrally located place within Old Town. And that's what we did. And so I'll talk about where we went next. It's called Casa Holstein, and it is a stone throwaway from Old Town City Center.

And one of the things that I loved at this hotel, Is that you can spot rogue peacocks everywhere. Now we did see one rogue peacock at Tivoli, so they're really just all over centra, but there seems [00:39:00] to be a few that really, like Casa Holstein. If you're staying there, it's also known as Quinta Sao Sebastiao and it's a three star hotel, but with, and it's still lovely.

It's not a palace, but it's still a former royal residence. It's conveniently located just four minutes from the train station and eight minutes from Sintra National Palace. So you really can't beat the location now. The main house is this beautiful pastel pistachio hue and the main house is actually private and inaccessible by guests.

It was built by the father of the second Duchess of Palmella . The first count of Pova is the present owner's ancestry. So I didn't see anybody in the house when we were there. I did snoop and I did see movement inside the house. It was hard to tell, but I'm pretty sure that was a [00:40:00] caretaker.

But then next to this private house is an annex of sorts, which is the actual hotel, and it's made to look like it's part of the whole property. It's on the same property. You just can't access the main house. So Casa Holstein has 13 guest rooms and they are located just next to the house. They're decorated with antiques.

There's also a swimming pool on site that was beautiful and there's a yoga studio. And then they actually also have a private. Garden villa that's down the hill and it's was where we had our wedding reception and it was perfect for the evening. Super private. But let me tell you what those are so many steps to get to that little hill that villa.

So you better love steps if you book that room. . Okay, so we've reached [00:41:00] the end of our. Round up. I'll do a quick bonus of some other rapid fire things you can do in places you can see. The first is Cabo da Roca. It's a natural coastal viewpoint with a lighthouse built in 1772. Outside of Sintra there's the Palacio Nacional e Jardins de Queluz.

Ooh. Sorry guys. I'm sure I butchered that, but it's an 18th century palace on the Portuguese riviera this was one that I really wanted to see if we had spent one more day in Sintra because it's technically not in Sintra but it's easily, it's easy to get to by train, if you have extra time, you could definitely do that one.

There's Convento dos Capuchos. It's the convent of the Capuchos it's a historical convent consisting of small quarters and public spaces. There's [00:42:00] the Museum of Arts, the Museum of. Text Sarah . It is a quaint museum with works by Portuguese father and son sculptors. So it's a sculpture museum, and then there are four different nearby beaches.

There's. Ursa which is a secluded beach with a steep trail, golden shores and large rocks. There's a Adraga a picturesque inlet with a sandy shoreline, . It's a tongue twister and rock formations. There's da Macas it's a popular scenic beach with golden sands and clean sea waters. And do Guincho.

Stunning beach with dramatic scenery close to Cascais which we did a day trip out there. And if you have time, definitely go to Cascais. It's beautiful. And [00:43:00] definitely do a yacht charter while you're there. We did that with a company called Palma Yachts and it was fantastic. So I would love to know.

Did this roundup help you? I hope it did. At the very least. I hope that it convinced you to stay in Sintra for longer than just one day because there's so much to see and do in this fairytale town. So if you have something that you'd like to add to this list, I'd love to know. Let me know in on social media or on the blog, and I hope you have a great week and I'll talk to you soon.