Hotels near Sintra National Palace

Sintra National Palace (Palacio Nacional de Sintra) is the one you can reach without a bus. Its two white conical kitchen chimneys, 33 metres tall, have defined the town skyline since the 15th century. This is the best-preserved medieval royal palace in Portugal, occupied more or less continuously by the monarchy from the early 1400s until 1910.

The tiled rooms carry the story. The Sala das Pegas has 136 magpies painted across its ceiling, reportedly King Joao I's answer to court gossip, while the Sala dos Brasoes displays 72 noble coats of arms beneath a gilded dome. Admission costs around 13 EUR and 75 minutes covers it. It is also the least crowded of Sintra's major palaces.

Pro Tip: Come between 13:00 and 15:00, when the coach groups are up at Pena Palace. Buy the ticket at the door rather than online - this palace rarely sells out and the counter queue on Largo Rainha Dona Amelia moves quickly.