Sintra Half Day Tour

A beautiful town at the foot of the mountain range of the same name, its unique features have led UNESCO to classify it as a World heritage site. It was even necessary to create a special category for the purpose - that of “cultural landscape” - taking into account its natural riches as well as the historic buildings in the town and mountains. Endowed with luxuriant vegetation, the mountains are part of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. From early times Sintra has been the place of choice for settlement of various peoples who have passed through the Iberian Peninsula and left traces of their presence, which are now displayed in the Archaeological Museum of Odrinhas, in the outskirts of the town. In the 12th century, Dom Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal, captured the Moorish Castle, and his successors later built their holiday residence. Their physiognomy is marked by the two huge conical chimneys built in the Middle Ages. Much appreciated by kings and nobles as a country resort, and praised by writers and poets like (inevitably) Lord Byron who called it “glorious Eden”, Sintra has a wealth of cottages and manor houses, some of which now provide accommodation in the form of country-house tourism. The palaces, too, are outstanding, such as the Pena Palace, built in the Romantic period on one of the mountain peaks, and the 18th century Palace of Seteais, now converted into an elegant hotel, and the Palace of Monserrate, famous for its Beautiful gardens with their exotic species that are unique in the country. Sintra’s confectionery deserves a special mention, particularly the pillows (puff pastes stuffed with a sweet eggy mixture) and the famous cheese-cakes, which according to ancient documents were already being made in the 12th century, and were part of the rent payments.

The Sintra national palace is unique amongst the royal mediaeval palaces in Portugal and the town's most distinctive building. Beginning with the nation's first dynasties, Sintra was one of the preferred places of Portuguese kings and queens, although the palace that we can see nowadays owes its existence to an initiative of Dom John I, who rebuilt it, and Dom Manuel I, who enriched the building's decorative character and added a new wing. It is worth visiting the interior of the palace, where you will certainly find out a little more about the history of Portugal. The decoration is quite remarkable, being a combination of various artistic styles that depended on the respective tastes of the kings that lived here, and carried out in such a way as to give different names to the various rooms. In particular, the attention of visitors is drawn to the Swans' Room, the Armory Room, the Magpie or Reading Room and the chapel. Here you can also find a brief history of the development of the decorative tile (tile) in Portugal, with examples ranging from the Spanish-Moorish tiles brought by the king Dom Manuel to the typical blue-and-white tiles of the 18th century. Outside, the most striking and distinctive feature of the palace is the two large conical chimneys of the kitchen, each measuring 33 meters high, now adopted as the symbol of Sintra.

Located at latitude 38º 47´north and longitude 9º 30´west, Cabo da Roca is an important coordinate for those sailing along the coast, as it is the most westerly point of mainland Europe, a fact post out by the certificates that visitors take away as a souvenir. Around 150 meters above the sea, here you can have a panoramic view over the Serra de Sintra and the coast, which makes it worth the visit. Historical records indicate that there was a fort on Cabo da Roca in the 17th century that played an important part in guarding the entrance to Lisbon's harbor, forming a defensive line along the coast, especially during the Peninsular Wars. Today there are only traces, as well as the lighthouse which is still an important point for navigation. It lies within the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park and is one of the points of interest on the walking trails that can be followed here along the coast.