Sintra Portugal is a beautiful region of Portugal, labeled as Unesco World Heritage Site. In Sintra, you can find castles, forests, mountains, and even beaches.

Planning your next Portugal trip?

Here are the 6 BEST things to see in Sintra.

 

6 best things to see in sintra portugal

 

There are a lot of reasons to love Portugal. It’s such a diverse country, and traveling there is pretty cheap. I truly enjoyed exploring the country on a road trip. And I have to say that I wasn’t disappointed by what I’ve found. One part of Portugal particularly surprised me: Sintra.

In this guide, I’ll share with you the 6 BEST things to see in Sintra; this is based on my personal experience, and on the places I’ve personally visited in Portugal. I’ve tried to make this guide as complete as possible, to help you plan your future travels to Sintra Portugal the best you can.

Down below, you’ll find information about Sintra, the best places to see, a free map, my 1-day travel itinerary, and several tips to help you plan your travels.

Do you want to make your travels easier? You can download my free private map with the list of the 6 best things to see in Sintra Portugal straight on your phone, to always have with you when you’re traveling to Portugal. Simply fill out the form below:


 

And here are the 6 best things to see in Sintra:

  1. Cabo Da Roca
  2. Praia Da Ursa
  3. Azenhas Do Mar
  4. Palacio Da Pena
  5. Castelo Dos Mouros
  6. Quinta Da Regaleira

 

About Sintra Portugal

Sintra is a region of Portugal, located West of Lisbon, as you can see on the map below:

Sintra Portugal map:

Part of the Grande Lisboa subregion, Sintra is one of the wealthiest place in Portugal, and it’s mostly known by its castles. Castles and palaces can be found all over Sintra, and they are the main attraction in the area. What makes it even better is that the Sintra region goes all the way to the ocean, where you can explore beautiful seascapes, coastal villages and massive cliffs.

Located 30 minutes away from the capital city, Lisbon, Sintra is a truly amazing region, with lot of things to see. The most iconic location in Sintra Portugal is probably the Palacio Da Pena (Pena Palace), and it’s by far the most visited place around. However, if you push past the main attraction, you’ll find that there are many other amazing things to explore in the area.

If you want to make a day-trip from Lisbon, then Sintra is the perfect choice. In one day in Sintra, you can explore most of the area. What I enjoyed the most about Sintra is being able to live totally different experiences in the same day. You can be in an epic castle one hour, then be on the beach enjoying the sun and the sound of the waves the next one.

 

The 6 BEST things to see in Sintra Portugal – Points of Interest

While there are a lot of different places to see and things to do in Sintra (you could spend multiple days there), if you’re like me and traveling on the weekends or short period of times, then you’ll want to make the most out of your travel time and see the best things around.

Let’s get started with the 6 best things to see in Sintra Portugal:

 

1-Cabo Da Roca

Cabo Da Roca is the westernmost part of mainland Europe. This in itself is a pretty cool reason to visit the location, to stand on the far west part of Europe.

 

cabo da roca from the air

 

Of course this is not the only reason I’ve put Cabo da Roca in my list of the 6 best things to see in Sintra Portugal; the place looks absolutely amazing, and there’s even a lighthouse on the edge of the cliffs.
I recommend stopping at the local café before heading out to explore the area; go downstairs and you’ll be able to enjoy a nice cup of coffee while watching over the cliffs and the ocean.

 

2- Praia Da Ursa

Praia da Ursa is the most beautiful beach we’ve found in Sintra. It features massive rock formations standing in the ocean, and a nice sand beach.

 

praia da ursa from up the cliffs in sintra portugal

 

Be warned though that Praia da Ursa is a difficult beach to access: you’ll need to walk down a very steep track for quite some time before reaching the beach. Make sure you have proper hiking shoes before going down there. On the plus side, there’s never a lot of people down there, so if you do go down, you’ll enjoy calmness and solitude.

If you’re not prepared to hike, do not worry: Praia da Ursa is also epic from up the cliffs. On the way back from Cabo da Roca, we took a left turn on a dirt road, and went all the way near the cliffs, over the beach.
You can start to go down the path, or just chill at the top of the cliffs: either way, you’ll have an absolutely stunning view.

 

3- Azenhas Do Mar

Probably my favorite place in Sintra, Azenhas do Mar is a cute little village perched on top of the cliffs, right next to the ocean.

 

azenhas do mar sintra portugal

 

We went to Azenhas do Mar late afternoon, to watch the sun set over the village. Then, we went to the very end of the parking lot, across from the village, and sat down on the cliffs. We stayed there for about an hour, chilling, watching the sun set and the lights turn on in the streets.

What makes this place even better is the ocean pool at the bottom of the cliffs, right below the town. You can go there and swim, and it’s truly an incredible experience.

 

Azenhas do Mar is one of the best coastal cities in Portugal. Want to see all the 20 best cities? Click here!

 

4- Palacio Da Pena

Palacio da Pena, or Pena Palace, is the most famous place in Sintra Portugal, and it’s probably the one thing you have in mind when you think about Sintra.

 

pena palace from the air

 

The palace dates back from 1503, and was originally a monastery, under King Manuel I. The yellow buildings of the palace were built later, around 1845 under King Ferdinand.

It’s a truly unique place, and it’s worth a visit. Make sure to head there early morning, for the opening at 9:45am to be sure to be the first to enter. You can also book your tickets online, to avoid having to queue up at the tickets booth, and to enter right away when the gates open.

The place fills up quickly, and by 11am it’s completely crowded.

Get up early, and you’ll have a blast.

Pena Palace opening times: 9:45am to 7pm
Pena Palace prices: 14€ for adults, 12.50€ for kids and seniors.

 

5- Castelo Dos Mouros

Right next to the Pena Palace stands Castelo dos Mouros, or Castle of the Moors. You can even see it from the Palace.

 

castle of the moors from pena palace

 

The Castle of the Moors has a totally different vibe from Pena Palace, and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into China and are exploring the Great Wall of China.
Built in the 9th century by the moors, the castle is now in ruins, and feels lost among the dense forest around.

It’s also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s easy to understand why when you explore the place. Be careful when you walk around the castle, on the battlements; the steps are uneven, and some parts were destroyed. Look at where you step.

Castle of the Moors opening times: 9:30am to 8pm in summer season and 10am to 6pm in winter.
Castle of the Moors admission fees: 8€ for adults, 6.50€ for kids and seniors.

 

6- Quinta Da Regaleira

The last place on this list of things you have to see in Sintra Portugal is Quinta da Regaleira. It’s a big estate, with a lot of different interesting things to explore. In the estate, you’ll find a palace, a chapel, a lake, a big well, and even a grotto that takes you behind a waterfall!

 

quinta da regaleira initiation well

 

With so much to see in Quinta da Regaleira, you can easily spend a couple of hours there. Make sure you allow plenty of time to visit the park and the palace.

Quinta da Regaleira opening times: 9:30am to 8pm in summer, and 9:30am to 6pm in winnter.
Quinta da Regaleira tickets: 6€ for adults, 4€ for kids and seniors.

So there you have them, the 6 best things to see in Sintra Portugal! If you’re planning your trip to Portugal and want to include Sintra in your itinerary, you’ll find below specific tips to help you plan your trip.

If you want to make your life easier, you can download my private map of these 6 locations straight to your phone, for free. Click below to get it.


 

Tips for Visiting Sintra Portugal

How do I get there?

The best way to visit Sintra is by car; if you have your own car, or rent a car, you’ll be able to drive around, go to Pena Palace first thing in the morning without being dependent on buses, and visit any beach you choose.

To go to Sintra from Lisbon, it’s a short 30 minutes drive. If you have a regular car and not a 4×4, be careful as some roads are though to maneuver, especially on the coast when you try to go near the cliffs. Driving around Pena Palace is also though, as there is a single loop road that takes you to the 3 castles.

Alternatively, you could take the bus to visit the castles more info on the buses can be found here: Bus 434 Info 

 

How many days do I need?

It depends a lot on your style of traveling, and on how you want to experience Portugal. I always have a few days in a country when traveling (the joy of having 2 jobs), and so I’m not really relaxing and taking the time to fully enjoy a country, as much as I’d love to stay more.

 

down the beach in cabo da roca

 

I’ve managed to fit in all of the 6 locations in one day (see the best 1 day itinerary here – coming soon!), so you can definitely see everything in one day.

To truly enjoy Sintra, I recommend you take 2 days – 1 day exploring the castles and the park around, and 1 day on the coast.

 

How is the weather in Sintra?

Sintra weather is sunny most of the times, as it rains 71 days out of 365, and only 11 days from May to September (11 out of 150).

The temperatures can go down pretty low in winter (6°C) due to the coastal winds, so make sure to pack accordingly.

You can find below the average temperatures during the year, in both celsius and fahrenheit degrees.

 

Where should I stay?

As the distance from Lisbon to Sintra is short (30min drive), you’ll be fine if you stay in Lisbon. By choosing an accommodation in Lisbon, you’ll be able to visit Lisbon and then go to Sintra on a day trip or a 2.

👉  Find the best area to stay for you: Where to stay in Lisbon

👉  Find your accommodation: Selection of the Very Best Hotel in Lisbon

 

1-Day Travel Itinerary

There are different ways to travel, and to experience a country. Because I currently have 2 jobs, I’m mostly traveling on the weekends, and so I have to make the most of the 2 or 3 days I have in a country.

You’ll find below the 1-Day travel itinerary that I followed in Sintra Portugal. If you plan on spending more than a day, you could visit the castles in one day, and then move to the coast for the other days.

 

1 – Pena Palace

Start the day with Pena Palace, as this is the only way to beat the crowd and to make sure you get to experience the location with the minimum amount of people there. Go for the opening time around 9:45am. You’ll be ready to leave around 11am.

 

2 – Castle of the Moors

After visiting Pena Palace, go straight to Castle of the Moors. My advice is to not take your car again, because to go to the Castle of the Moors you will have to do a full loop on the one-way road that goes to the castles. Instead, go by foot, you’ll gain an incredible amount of time.

 

3- Quinta da Regaleira

When you’re done visiting the Castle of the Moors, you can take your car and drive to Quinta da Regaleira: before actually visiting, you can stop to grab a bite, as it will be around 1pm.

 

4- Cabo da Roca

Around 2:30pm, you’ll make you way towards the Sintra coast, to Cabo da Roca, a short 30 minutes drive. There you can chill at the local café for a cup of coffee, then explore the coast for a bit.

 

5- Praia da Ursa

The main destination of the coast, where you can spend some time on the cliffs watching the beach and ocean below. Make sure to leave 1 hour before sunset

 

6- Azenhas do Mar

The final destination of the day, where you’ll watch the sun set over the cute little coastal village, and the lights turn on as the night sets in. You should reach Azenhas do Mar 30 minutes before sunset, which will give you time to find a nice spot to watch the sunset. Stick around a bit after sunset, as the village looks amazing at night.

 

You can download the map and the travel itinerary straight to your phone by clicking on the button below:


 

Do you want to create your own itinerary for your travels? Check out this fantastic resource: How to create your own Europe trip itinerary

 

You’re now ready to travel to Sintra, a beautiful part of Portugal, and to make the most of your time there with this list of the 6 best things to see in Sintra. If you have any more questions regarding Sintra, feel free to ask me in the comments below and I’ll answer them.

 

If you want more reasons to visit Sintra, you can check my Sintra photo series for inspiration

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