Welcome to Sintra

Portugal's ancient mystical home of Romanticism, Moon Godesses, Enchanted Forests and Opulent Palaces.

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YOUR SINTRA ADVENTURE STARTS HERE

Welcome to MADABOUTSINTRA.COM, the web's most comprehensible guide to Sintra and the number-one day-trip destination from Lisbon. Here you can uncover the town's mysteries and plan your adventure to suit your itinerary. Find out where to go and how to get there. Discover the best ways to travel to Sintra and onwards to the Sintra's top attractions. Avoid queues and book online before you travel at your convenience. Enjoy the benefits of having entrance tickets sent to your phone. Enjoy the benefits of saving time and money with the Sintra Pass and the Lisbon Card. Sintra's magical places have inspired people for thousands of years and are now awaiting you.

AN INTRODUCTION TO SINTRA

North of Lisbon and close to the Atlantic is the fairytale town of Sintra, (formerly "Cintra"). It's beautiful setting amongst the forests of the Serra de Sintra and moderate climate have been a draw for royals, poets, romantics and visitors alike for centuries. Lord Byron once described Sintra as a "glorious Eden". Sintra has more palaces, fine houses, castles and other places of interest to shake a proverbial stick at. There is an aura of playfulness here with a touch of the absurd, eccentricity and kitsch, enough to make architectural puritans shudder‚ yet easy to fall in love with. In 1996 Sintra's uniqueness was recognised by UNESCO and was added to its list of heritage sites.

Millennia of occupation in the town, and the surrounding area, has left an abundance of monuments and attractions to visit. Most of which are within easy reach using local public transport. From the train station, dedicated buses whisk visitors to Sintra's top attractions. Bus number 434 is a circular route linking Sintra train station, the old town centre, the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace. Whereas the bus number 435 will take you to the Quinta da Regaleira, Palácio de Seteais and Palácio de Monserrate. There are a plethora of guided and private tours to choose from for a more informative and unique experience. Well signed hiking routes criss-cross the region over beautiful landscapes allowing visitors to walk in the footsteps of the ancients.

There's also a broad choice of places to eat to choose from. Our detailed restaurant reviews and cuisine guide will advise you on the best places to suit your requirements. Hopefully, our insightful website will inspire you to stay longer than a day and experience Sintra to the full. Sintra also makes an excellent base for exploring the surrounding region. The beautiful coastline is an enjoyable tram ride away. Local buses can take you to Cascais, Estoril, Ericeira, Lisbon and Mafra. Alcobaça, Batalha, Fátima, Óbidos and Tomar are all within easy reach by hire-car, whilst avoiding Lisbon's chaotic traffic. MADABOUTSINTRA.COM is at hand with Hotel reviews and the best deals for car rental.

Sintra's colourful town centre and telephone box

Sintra Vila Velha (old town centre)


TOP ATTRACTIONS IN SINTRA

Monserrate Palace

Beautiful eclectic architecture with landscaped gardens

Moorish Castle

A mighty 10th Century fortification dating from pre-Christian times

Pena Palace

One of the most iconic and eccentric Portuguese buildings

National Palace of Sintra

Portugal's oldest palace pre-dating the country itself

Quinta da Regaleira

A place full of mysticism, romance, wonder and magic

National Palace of Queluz

An impressive 18th-century palace, a homage to the Baroque style

Capuchos Convent

A beautiful 16th-century convent harmoniously blended into the landscape

Cabo da Roca

The most westerly point in mainland Europe with breathtaking scenery

Sintra Old Town

SINTRA'S HISTORIC CENTRE

Sintra has two distinctive districts; the new part and the old. The new part surrounds the train station Portela de Sintra. The old village is located in São Martinho up the hill and west of the Sintra train station. The Largo Rainha Dona Amélia in the centre of the old town would be the first place you'll encounter if you've arrived by coach from Lisbon or taken the bus from the train station. Flanked on three sides by restaurants, gift shops and overpriced wine shops whilst dominating the other side stands the imposing Palácio Nacional de Sintra. It has distinctive champagne bottled shaped chimneys. The pillory or Pelourinho standing on its three steps next to the Largo Rainha Dona Amélia is a 20th-century copy made in 1940 by José da Fonseca. The original Pelourinho was destroyed in 1854. [ More About ► ]

What to see…

Fountains Sintra Myths & Legends Interactive Centre

SINTRA'S OLD TRAM (ELÉCTRICO DE SINTRA)

Sintra's vintage tramway resumed its seasonal weekend service from the centre of Sintra, close to the Museu de Arte Moderna, to Praia das Maças on the coast. This rickety old tram squeaks and judders a 11.5km (7 miles) picturesque route up and over the Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais, passing through Colares and Banzão along the way. Bones are shaken for about 45-50 minutes before reaching the final destination. For a more rapid and comfortable option, yet less fun, take the Scotturb bus.
Old Tram Sintra - Praia das Maças Timetable

Adult: €3.00 Single, OAP & Child: €2.00 Single, Infant <6: FREE
Avenue Heliodoro Salgado, Sintra, Portugal. | 38º 48' 12.0" N | 08º 37' 17.62" W
+351 219 238 789
dtur@cm-sintra.pt |  Website

Sintra - Praia das Maças Old Tram (Eléctrico de Sintra)

Sintra - Praia das Maças Old Tram (Eléctrico de Sintra)

Museu Arqueolgico de São Odrinhas

MUSEUMS OF SINTRA

Over past epochs, Sintra's diverse history has accumulated several artefacts, curiosities; creating a broad cultural heritage. Treasures from various eras can be found within the towns museums and art galleries. Sintra boasts unique collections of fossils, art pieces and toys.

The cultural legacy left by the poets, artists, royals and enigmatic characters who once dwelt here can be found within the homes they bequeathed to history.

What to see…

Air Museum Archeology Museum Natural History Museum

QUEIJADAS DE SINTRA

Variations of Queijadas, sweet cheesecake type pastries, are found all over Portugal and the Portuguese speaking world. It is in Sintra they have their origin and well worth trying if visiting the town. Made from a ricotta-like cheese called Requeijão, egg yolks and a pinch of Cinnamon. They're incredibly rich in texture and sweet, with a fluffy sweet crust on top. The exact recipe is a closely guarded secret. There are records of Queijadas being baked at the Convento da Penha Longa since 1227AD, they were used as part payment of rent.

The Queijadas da Sapa bakery has proudly been making these little delights since 1756 and continue to be hand made in the traditional yet time-consuming way. Queijadas can be bought directly from the bakery, (located close to the Sintra train station) or from various other outlets across town. A six-pack makes a great culinary souvenir.

Queijada de Sintra

Fabrica das Verdadeiras Queijadas da Sapa

ONLINE ENTRANCE TICKETS

DAY TRIPS FROM SINTRA

Batalha Monastery

Dating from the 14th century, one of Europe's finest Gothic masterpieces

Cascais

The absolute jewel of the Lisbon coast and favoured resort of Royalty

Ericeira

Beautiful fishing village and surfing Mecca untouched by mass tourism

Estoril

An exclusive resort know by many as Portugal's Riviera

Mafra

Portugal's largest building, the Palace that bankrupted a nation

Ó́bidos

The stunning preserved medieval town once a wedding gift for a Queen

Sesimbra

A delightful seaside resort and fishing village South of Lisbon

Tomar

The home of Portugal's Templar Knights a town entwined in history

Colares Wine Tasting

COLARES WINE TASTING

The Colares wine region located around Sintra is one of the worlds oldest producing areas, if not one of the unusual. It is the second oldest demarcated wine regions in Portugal after the Douro. The art of making wine here was introduced by the Romans when they occupied the region. The vines are planted in the dunes which follow the coast, trained low to avoid the Atlantic winds. This terrain proved too harsh for the phylloxera louse that devastated nearly all of Europe's vines in the 19th century. The shortage of competitors led to a boom in the popularity of Colares wines. However, the processes involved in planting and training vines in such an alien environment for grapes is arduous. Production has fallen sharply in the last 50 years from 2,500 acres of vineyards in the 1940s to just 50 acres today.

What is produced is of excellent quality and quite distinct. The acidic and tannic nature of the reds mean they're aged for years before being released on the market. Today there is a consorted effort to revitalise the industry. New vines are being planted in much sort after areas where holiday homes are in high demand. [ More About ► ]

TRAVELLING TO SINTRA

Lisbon Airport
Train to Sintra
Booking.com

Bus 434

Sintra's historical centre is 18 miles (29km) west of Lisbon Portela Airport Website

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The speedy A5 and A16 motorways will whisk you west from central Lisbon. A more picturesque routes from Cascais via the Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais on the A16 and N247.
Latitude - 38º 47' 56.6" | Longitude - 09º 23' 15.9"

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Urban train services (comboios urbanos) from Lisbon's Rossio and Orient stations are regular and reliable.
• Azambuja/Lisboa/Sintra line Timetable
Trains of Portugal Website

ScottURB run services around Sintra and Cascais:

• 403 - Cascais to Sintra train station via Cabo da Roca and Colares.
• 418 - Estoril train station to Sintra train station.
• 403 - Cascais to Sintra trainstation via Cabo da Roca and Colares.
• 434 - Circular route linking Sintra train station, old town centre, the Moorish castle and Pena Palace.
• 435 - Circular route linking Sintra train station, old town centre, Palácio da Regaleira, Palácio de Seteais and Palácio de Monserrate.
Timetables | Scott URB Website

[ More In Depth Travel Info ► ]