Lisboa Trip Overview
2 days to get to know more than 35 interest points in the city of Lisbon and the village of Sintra. Stroll through these two iconic locations, famous for their beauty, in a fun little 100% electric car
On day 1, in Lisbon, you will visit the famous viewpoints, where you can contemplate the city in all its splendor. Then you will stroll along the river, through the Belém area, and admire historical monuments such as the Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery and buildings with modern architecture like the MAAT. All of this mixed with beautiful and spacious parks where you can relax in the shade of one of the many trees
On day 2, in Sintra, you’ll have the opportunity to stroll near famous Palaces such as Pena and Monserrate or get lost in the beautiful Quinta da Regaleira. The center of this secular village is also a must see and very characteristic. If you want, take a getaway to a nearby beach, and if the weather is good, take the opportunity to dive in the waters of the Atlantic
Additional Info
* Duration: 2 days
* Starts: Lisboa, Portugal
* Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
2 days to get to know more than 35 interest points in the city of Lisbon and the village of Sintra. Stroll through these two iconic locations, famous for their beauty, in a fun little 100% electric car
On day 1, in Lisbon, you will visit the famous viewpoints, where you can contemplate the city in all its splendor. Then you will stroll along the river, through the Belém area, and admire historical monuments such as the Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery and buildings with modern architecture like the MAAT. All of this mixed with beautiful and spacious parks where you can relax in the shade of one of the many trees
On day 2, in Sintra, you’ll have the opportunity to stroll near famous Palaces such as Pena and Monserrate or get lost in the beautiful Quinta da Regaleira. The center of this secular village is also a must see and very characteristic. If you want, take a getaway to a nearby beach, and if the weather is good, take the opportunity to dive in the waters of the Atlantic
Itinerary
Day 1: Lisbon Complete Tour (6-hours)
Stop At: Martim Moniz, 1100-341 Lisbon, Portugal
This square, looking up to the castle, is the center of the city’s most multiethnic neighborhood. It’s something of a mini Chinatown, in addition to being a terminal of the famous tram 28.
Neglected for several years, it was revived in 2012 as a street food market, with several stalls with terraces now serving the flavors of the neighborhood’s various cultures (Chinese, Indian, African, among others).
On weekends it hosts the “Fusion Market,” mixing a variety of products, from handicrafts to ethnic and organic foods, often accompanied by live music.
A giant dragon, created in 2012 (year of the dragon) using pieces of old cell phones and computers, is found in the middle of the square, as a tribute to the Chinese community.
The row of fountains that crosses the square is a reference to the city’s old wall that climbed the hill from here.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Miradouro das Portas do Sol, Largo das Portas do Sol Alfama, Lisbon 1100-411 Portugal
The postcard-perfect panoramic views from this “balcony” (“the gateway of the sun”) over Alfama go from the ST. Vincent Monastery to the National Pantheon and the Church of St. Stephen. It’s a must-photograph spot for any tourist, who ends up staying for a drink at the tables next to a kiosk, or at the Portas do Sol café below.
At the center, facing the Decorative Arts Museum, is a statue of St. Vincent (Lisbon’s patron saint), holding the symbols of the city – a boat with two ravens.
This is where you have the best sunrise views in town, and is the ideal starting point for a walk through the streets of Alfama.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Alfama, Lisbon Portugal
This quaint medieval district (once the Moorish and Jewish quarter before it became a fishing community) is the oldest neighborhood in Europe after El Pópulo in Cadiz. It’s like a small village, standing as a time capsule to the years before Lisbon was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake, as it remained standing thanks to its rock-solid foundations.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Miradouro da Graca (Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen), Calcada da Graca Sao Vicente, Lisbon 1100-265 Portugal
This romantic pine-shaded terrace overlooking the city is a popular hangout for young groups, thanks to its kiosk café and fantastic views that go from the castle down to the river.
Everyone calls it Miradouro da Graça, but the official name is Miradouro Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, a poet who died in 2004 and who spent many of her days admiring Lisbon from this spot. One of her poems can be read on a wall facing her bronze bust, which is seen looking out to the city. Standing behind it is an 18th-century church, Graça Church.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Miradouro da Senhora do Monte, Largo do Monte, Lisbon 1170-253 Portugal
It was once one of the city’s biggest secrets, but it has been discovered by tour guides and young couples. It offers a panoramic view of Lisbon, which is also observed by a small image of the Virgin that gives the place its name (“Our Lady of the Mount”). Behind the image is a small chapel from the 1700s, which is almost always closed. According to an old legend, pregnant women who sat on the stone chair inside would have a problem-free childbirth.
This is one of the highest points in the city, so several monuments, identified on a tile panel, can be seen from here.
This spot is especially popular at sunset, but during the day there are also those who stay for hours in the shade of the olive trees, cypresses and pines.
To get here, walk down Rua da Graça from Largo da Graça, and turn left at Rua da Senhora do Monte.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Observation Deck Park Eduardo VII, Alameda Cardeal Cerejeira, 1070-051 Lisboa, Portugal
Lisbon’s central park ascends one of the city’s hills and provides a wonderful view from the top. It’s made up of symmetrical box hedging and a variety of plants, most of them found inside glasshouses from the 1930s (the cool greenhouse and the heated greenhouse), which are filled with exotic species from tropical climates. This is one of the most important green spaces in Lisbon, considered an authentic living museum, with its small lakes and waterfalls, statuary, and hundreds of species of plants. On the opposite side is an attractive tile-covered building dedicated to Carlos Lopes (marathon winner at the Olympics in Los Angeles), which will soon be renovated to host cultural and sporting events.
Every June the park hosts the city’s annual book fair, lasting for several days.
The name is a tribute to the English monarch Edward VII, who visited Lisbon in 1903, five centuries after the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Praca dos Restauradores, Avenida da Liberdade, Lisbon 1250-188 Portugal
The square is dedicated to the restoration of the independence of Portugal in 1640, after 60 years of Spanish domination. The obelisk in the middle of the square, inaugurated in 1886, carries the names and dates of the battles fought during the Portuguese Restoration War, in 1640.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Rossio Square, Praca Dom Pedro IV, Lisbon 1100-026 Portugal
The official name is Dom Pedro IV Square, but everyone knows it as Rossio. It marks the very center of the city, a lively place at any time of the day, with a wave-patterned mosaic pavement that has been reproduced throughout Portugal, in Rio de Janeiro and in Macau.
It was the site of the bonfires of the Inquisition, and in the early 1900s it attracted intellectuals who met at several cafés, such as the Nicola, which still exists. It’s also home to the neoclassical theater Dona Maria II, and to a monument to King Pedro IV, standing 27-meters (89ft) high between two monumental baroque fountains.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Chiado, Lisbon Portugal
Lisbon’s most elegant and trendiest neighborhood is where everyone meets for coffee, shopping, or before dinner and a night out in neighboring Bairro Alto.
Most of the buildings are from the 1700s, although many were restored in the 1990s by architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, after their destruction by a devastating fire in 1988. It’s a neighborhood that flashes back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the “Belle Époque” when writers such as Fernando Pessoa and Eça de Queiroz used to write at the now-historic cafés. It’s also the neighborhood of theaters, of charming old bookshops and major international brands, giving it a lively cosmopolitan ambiance at any time of the day.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Bairro Alto, Lisbon 1200-109 Portugal
A neighborhood laid out in 1513, is a place that truly changes from night to day. In daylight this bohemian district is a sleepy place, hungover from the previous night, with not much going on except for the shops down Rua do Norte. When the sun sets a new life begins, with restaurants opening their doors, and crowds showing up to spend their bar-hopping night.
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: Miradouro Sao Pedro de Alcantara, Rua de Sao Pedro de Alcantara Bairro Alto, Lisbon 1250-237 Portugal
All of Lisbon’s lookout points are romantic, but none more than this one, looking over all of downtown towards the castle and the river. It’s a landscaped terrace with busts of historical figures, a fountain, and kiosk cafes from where you may sit and admire the beauty of the city.
Going up and down the hill next to the terrace is the Gloria funicular, and across the street is the bar of the Port Wine Institute, where you may sample all types of Portugal’s famous drink.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: The Pink Street, R. Nova do Carvalho, Lisbon 1200-372 Portugal
Rua Nova do Carvalho is a pedestrian street better known as “Pink Street,” after an urban renewal project in 2013, when the pavement between the terraces, bars and clubs was painted pink. It has become one of Lisbon’s most popular destinations at night, and is also an “open-air art gallery.”
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: LX Factory, Rua Rodrigues de Faria 103, Lisbon 1300-501 Portugal
A factory complex from 1846 was reborn in 2008 as a “factory” of creativity and experiences. It kept the industrial spaces and invited companies related to the arts, which later brought shops, cafés and restaurants. Today there’s a little bit of everything, from fashion to books, to vintage furniture and contemporary design, next to dining options that include pizza, sushi and burgers, in addition to the more creative cuisine. The interiors maintain many of the old pieces, while most of the façades are covered in street art.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Belem, Belem, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Lisbon’s most monumental and historical area is Belém. It was from here that many of the great Portuguese explorers embarked on their voyages of discovery: Prince Henry the Navigator and the first overseas expedition to conquer Ceuta in Morocco, Bartolomeu Dias to round the Cape of Good Hope, the first voyages of Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco da Gama to discover the sea route to India, and Christopher Columbus stopped here on his way back to Europe after discovering the New World.
Stop At: Centro Cultural de Belem – CCB, Praca Imperio, Belem 1449-003 Portugal
Lisbon’s most important cultural center was originally built to host Portugal’s presidency of the European Union in 1992. Today it regularly presents world-class performances and has the city’s largest auditorium.
It’s also home to the Berardo Musuem for Modern and Contemporary Art, and has cafés and restaurants looking over the river.
Its biggest annual event is the springtime “Dias da Música,” a classical music festival.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Jerónimos Monastery, Praça do Império 1400-206 Lisboa, 1400-206 Lisboa, Portugal
This 16th-century monastery is Lisbon’s must-see marvel, flashing back to the days of the Age of Discovery, when the spices of the East paid for the impressive architecture that has given it the status of World Heritage Site.
Riches from all over the world poured into Lisbon thanks to Vasco da Gama’s discovery of the maritime route to India, and the explorer’s tomb is found in the church, a space filled with carvings of sea motifs. Another tomb is that of poet Luís de Camões.
Coral, sea monsters and ropes are also represented in the even more magnificent cloisters, which are unlike any other in the world. They are sometimes used as a backdrop for major events, such as the signing of the Lisbon Treaty between all 27 European Union countries in 2007.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Pastéis de Belém, R. de Belém 84 92, 1300-085 Lisboa, Portugal
The official name is “Antiga Confeitaria de Belém” (“Belem’s Old confectionery”) but everyone simply calls it “Pasteis de Belém” (“Belém Pastries”). Its pastries have become famous around the country and even the world, known internationally as “Portuguese custard tarts” or “pastéis de nata.” “Pastel de Nata” is the name of the very same tart when not made at this shop, and those from here are not only the originals but also the best, made from a secret recipe since 1837. They come recommended in every guidebook, which explains the long lines outside the door. You may grab some to go, but also try them oven-warm in the beautifully tiled rooms inside.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Belém Tower, Av. Brasília, 1400-038 Lisboa, Portugal
Lisbon’s most famous landmark stands in the middle of the Tagus River as it reaches the Atlantic, where it once protected the city in the 1500s.
Built in 1515, the Belem Tower is a beautiful fortress that also served as the departure point for many of the voyages of discovery, and due to its architecture and historical significance it has been declared a World Heritage Site.
The highlight of a visit is admiring the façade facing the river and the views from its loggias and windows. You’ll see stonework relating to the Age of Discovery, including Our Lady of Safe Homecoming who was believed to protect sailors at sea, as well as a stone rhinoceros which inspired Dürer’s depiction of the animal. See more details below.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Padrão dos Descobrimentos, Av. Brasília, 1400-038 Lisboa, Portugal
Inaugurated in 1960, the year of the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator, this waterfront monument in the shape of a caravel heading into sea evokes the Portuguese Age of Discovery. Fifty-six meters high (184ft), 20 meters wide (66ft) and 46 meters long (151 ft), it shows a 9 meters-tall (26ft) Prince Henry leading 32 other personalities of the time, measuring 7 meters (23ft).
The monument is made of concrete. The interior presents temporary exhibitions, and has an elevator that takes you to the lookout terrace at the top, offering a beautiful view of the several monuments nearby, such as the Jeronimos Monastery and the Belem Tower.
Before entering, you may walk all over the world, following the routes of the Portuguese explorers. That’s a map in marble on a huge compass rose, measuring 50 meters in diameter (164ft), with caravels and dates marking the main routes of the Portuguese in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, Avenida Brasilia Central Tejo, Lisbon 1300-598 Portugal
MAAT (day 1)
The Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) is a project of the EDP Foundation, and is spread over two buildings, a former power station and a modern building designed by British architect Amanda Levete. It has almost 3000 square meters for exhibitions and events, and is directed by the former curator of contemporary architecture of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, Pedro Gadanho, who says that this museum in Lisbon is unique in the world, since no other crosses the disciplines of art, architecture and technology. It presents the relationship between art and new technologies, through contemporary and international exhibitions.
It will also have a restaurant looking out to 25th of April Bridge, and it’s possible to walk over the new undulating shell-shaped building of curved lines. The exterior staircase descends into the water, creating a large public space.
Duration: 50 minutes
Pass By: 25 de Abril Bridge, Praca 25 de Abril Almada, Lisbon 1950-358 Portugal
At first sight, the 25 de Abril Bridge seems to have a curious resemblance to the Golden Gate, but it was actually inspired by another San Francisco bridge, the Bay Bridge. It was, however, built by the same company as the Golden Gate, and inaugurated in 1966. It was called Salazar Bridge but was renamed after the 1974 revolution.
Its central span is longer than that of the Golden Gate, and it links the capital to the south of the country, especially to the beaches of Caparica coast, to which all of Lisbon seems to escape to in the summer.
Below the bridge are the St. Amaro Docks, with a marina and several restaurants in former warehouses, and that’s where you can get up close to the monument. To see it from above, the best spot is the terrace of the Monument to Christ. The Monsanto Forest Park, the lookout points of Santo Amaro and Necessidades, the Ajuda Botanical Garden and the Prazeres Cemitery also offer good views.
Stop At: Praca do Comercio (Terreiro do Paco), Avenida Infante Dom Henrique 1C, Lisbon 1100-053 Portugal
Lisbon’s grandest square faces the river, and was originally designed to welcome those arriving in the city by boat.
What you see today is the 18th-century version, as the original square, named “Terreiro do Paço” and home to the royal palace, was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. It was rebuilt with a triumphal arc facing the Tagus, and the surrounding arcaded buildings held government offices for many years.
At the center is a monument to King José I.
The square is also home to the city’s oldest café, “Martinha da Arcada”, and to the monumental Pousada Hotel.
There is also a tourist office, while across from it is the Lisboa Story Center, which presents the history of the city.
Under the arcades are cafés and restaurants with tables outside.
Duration: 20 minutes
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 2: Sintra Complete Tour (full-day)
Pass By: Town Hall, R. São Sebastião 2, 2710-592 Sintra, Portugal
After the inauguration of the Lisbon-Sintra railroad in 1889, Sintra underwent important changes in its urban fabric. However, the impossibility of Vila itself gaining more ground in the Serra, happily led to the building of a new neighborhood, relatively remote and named Estefânia, in honor of Queen D. Estefânia, wife of D. Pedro V. There was, therefore, the displacement of the economic and social center, which also forced the transfer of the main administrative entities that remained installed in an 18th century building, close to Paço Real. For the construction of the new Town Hall, an accessible place was chosen, both for the so-called Vila Velha and for the Estefânia town. For this reason, the modern Paços do Concelho were built between both neighborhoods, in the place where, until then, the old chapel of São Sebastião stood. The construction of the new building in the Paços do Concelho, started in 1906, according to a project by Adães Bermudes, was completed in 1909.
Stop At: Jardim da Vigia, 2710-501 Sintra, Portugal
The Miradouro da Vigia is located just 2 km from the historic center, in São Pedro de Sintra, and comprises a magnificent view, comparable only to a painting of the most beautiful postcards. It is possible to observe three hills, each with a stunning construction: the Pena National Palace, the Moorish Castle and the São Gregório Castle, a revivalist palace.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Sabuga Fountain, Rua Marechal Saldanha, Sintra Portugal
The current fountain was built in the 18th century, but the waters of Sabuga are already drunk and spoken, at least, since the century. XII, when the Crusader Osberno said that they ceased to cough. In the century. XVIII the fountain was redone, twice, once due to the damage caused by the earthquake of 1755. It has alternating spiers with pediments of Baroque taste, having, in the center, the weapons of the municipality surrounded by a thin border. Until 2005, the 3 walls of the fountain were covered with tile panels from the 19th century. XX, taken from the recent reform that proposed a more romantic view of the fountain. Today, it is impossible not to notice the contrast of its colours – blue and yellow.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Centro Historico de Sintra, Sintra 2710-616 Portugal
Sintra looks like a fairy tale, an ethereal or enchanted forest that has bewitched poets throughout time. It’s where Lisbon cools off, thanks to a Twilight Zone-like microclimate that also attracted nobility to build palaces over the centuries. The result was Europe’s first center of Romantic architecture, and it has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (the first “cultural landscape” in Europe to be listed).
It’s where the Celts worshiped the moon, the Moors built their “great wall,” and royalty erected their dream palaces. The most spectacular of all is Pena Palace, looking like a Disney extravagance but an actual royal residence from the 1800s. Other almost surreal constructions include Quinta da Regaleira, the Capuchos Convent and Monserrate Palace, plus fountains and waterfalls further adding to the mystical atmosphere whose spell no one is able to resist.
Just outside the center of town is Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of the European continent.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: Casa Piriquita, R. Padarias 1/18, 2710-603 Sintra, Portugal
Just as you cannot visit Belém without stopping at the Pasteis de Belém, you shouldn’t leave Sintra without trying a few sweets at the Casa Piriquita pastry shop. Look out for the travesseiro – a sticky, flaky and sweet rectangular cake filled with egg cream and flavored with almonds. This 155-year-old shop is also known for its queijadas. Stemming from the word queijo, which means cheese, queijadas are round cakes filled with cheese, sugar, eggs and cinnamon, surrounded by a delicious flour crust. Try to grab a seat inside to enjoy these Sintra-favorites with a coffee, or take your cakes to go.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Fonte dos Pisoes, Rua barbosa do bocage, Sintra 2710-550 Portugal
The current Fonte dos Pisão was erected by the Sintra Tourism Initiative Commission, in 1931, and replaced the previous tank, with a chronology that dates back, at least, to the five hundred era, with the documentary memory of having already carried out improvement works there. in 1651, during the visit of D. Luísa de Gusmão to Sintra: «Sources – Item With the officers And workers q They will repair the fountain (…) of the floors And clean it». The existing fountain was designed by Mestre José da Fonseca and develops from a semi-circular structure, which is accessed through a low staircase. The backrest, flanked by bench seats, is profusely decorated with colorful geometric motifs carved into the mortar itself. In the center, there is a large circle framed by the rectilinear elevation of the frontal, patenting tile panels, signed by F.CA Ceramica Constancia – Lisbon, with polychrome and round ornamentation.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Quinta da Regaleira, Rua Barbosa do Bocage, Sintra 2710-567 Portugal
This enigmatic neo-Manueline monument is a magical place of fantastical gardens, grottoes, lakes, and a well with a monumental staircase spiraling down 30 meters.
It’s a fantasy turned into the residence of millionaire António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro (the top coffee importer of the time) in 1892, blending a variety of architectural styles in unexpected harmony.
Both the palace and the four acres of the romantic garden are filled with esoteric symbols, statues of mythological figures and a maze of grottoes, creating a fun experience that attracts an increasing number of visitors of all ages.
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Stop At: Palacio de Monserrate, R. Visc. de Monserrate, Sintra 2710-591 Portugal
Monserrate is deep in the mountain range, slightly removed from Sintra’s other palaces, and so isn’t quite as crowded.
But that doesn’t mean you can pass it by, because both the Moorish Revival palace and grounds are glorious.
It was all landscaped in the mid-19th century for Sir Francis Cook, an English aristocrat who was given the title Viscount of Monserrate by King Luís I. The parkland has bamboo plantations, grottoes, man-made waterfalls, ponds, exotic cedars and Oceanic tree ferns.
And as for the residence, the Islamic influence is undeniable, in the latticework in its arches, the arabesque stucco patterns on the stairway and the ceiling of the radiant music room, which hosts concerts to this day.
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Stop At: Convent of the Capuchos, 2705 Colares, Portugal
A short but very picturesque drive from Sintra will bring you to the remnants of a 16th-century monastery.
The Franciscan monks who lived in this brotherhood chose an extraordinarily austere life, contrasting with Sintra’s luxury.
They lived in tiny cells bored from the rock and adorned with cork, and survived on vegetables grown at the kitchen garden.
This is still visible below the main courtyard, the Pátio do Tanque where there’s a pretty octagonal fountain.
You’ll be equipped with an audioguide to tour the cells, monastic buildings and chapel, which have been abandoned since the monasteries were dissolved in Portugal in 1834.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Chalet da Condessa D’Edla, Estrada da Pena, Sintra 2710-609 Portugal
The Chalet of Condessa d’Edla was built by King D. Fernando II and his second wife, Elise Hensler, Condessa d’Edla, between 1864 and 1869, following the model of the Alpine Chalets then in vogue in Europe.
It is a building with a strong scenic load characterized by the horizontal marking of the exterior plaster, painted to imitate a coating on wooden planks, and by the exhaustive use of cork as a decorative element, covering door and window frames, eaves, balconies and tree trunks. attached to the facades to support creepers.
The location of the Chalet is remarkable because, located at the opposite end of the park in relation to the palace, it maintains an important visual relationship that is accentuated by the proximity of a dramatic set of granite blocks, the Chalet Rocks, and by a valley that it is overrated.
From the balcony of the Chalet you could see the sea and, from the stones, the walls of the Castelo dos Mouros, cutting out the mountains.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Vale dos Lagos at Parque de Pena, Parque de Pena, Sintra Portugal
The Vale dos Lagos do Parque is located at the northern top of the central area of Pena, between the slope of the Palace (to the east) and the slope that gives access to the Abegoaria, Feteira da Condessa and Chalet (to the west). It is still bordered to the north by the property wall – two gates are very close to it open – and to the south by the Jardim da Feteira da Rainha, where there is another lake, fed by the same waters (Lago dos Fetos).
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: Castelo dos Mouros, 2710-405 Sintra, Portugal
Built by the Moors in the 9th century, this castle monitored the Lisbon coast and included secret passages and a large cistern, which were vital in case of siege. In medieval times, after the Christian reconquest in 1147, a church dedicated to St. Peter of Canaferrim was built within the castle’s walls, and its ruins now house artifacts collected in archaeological excavations, and present videos telling the castle’s history.
There’s a magnificent panoramic view over Sintra from the ramparts, looking out to Pena Palace and over the Sintra National Palace, Chalet Biester, Quinta da Regaleira, and all the other palaces up to the Atlantic coast. It’s possible to walk along the wall’s 450 meters and climb to the top of the five turrets.
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: Park and National Palace of Pena, Estrada da Pena, Sintra 2710-609 Portugal
This fairytale palace is one of the world’s most spectacular and one of Europe’s most eclectic constructions. It was built in 1840 over an old convent, which was incorporated into the new building (including a Manueline cloister decorated with tiles from 1520 and a 16th-century chapel with a marble and alabaster altarpiece). It’s a fantasy palace mixing neo-Gothic, neo-Manueline, neo-Moorish and neo-Renaissance features, creating one of the finest examples of European Romanticism. There are watchtowers of various shapes, one of the gateways is topped by the half-man half-fish Triton, and much of the interior (untouched since the last royals left in 1910) is decorated with oriental porcelain and European furniture. In the kitchen are displays of large cooking utensils used to prepare the royal banquets.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Caminho da Fonte de São Pedro, 2710 Sintra, Portugal
At the entrance to the square, where, on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, the ancient São Pedro fair takes place, there is a fountain devoted to the patron of this picturesque sintra neighborhood. The fountain, designed by architect Raul Lino, was, according to a plaque affixed to its interior, offered by the Parish Council to the City Council in 1928. With an erudite conception, the centralized building with a dome surmounted by the “keys to heaven”, crossed out by Lino, is very close to the Renaissance architectural canons. A colonnade centered by the access gap leads us to the interior of the building, which remains bordered by benches lined with tiles imitating the typical 17th century carpet. The faucet, surrounded by a radiant relief sun and surmounted by a ceramic panel similar to those already described, leaks into a small circular-shaped tank based on a column.
Duration: 20 minutes
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
