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Sintra sits in a wooded microclimate 30 kilometres northwest of Lisbon, where Portuguese royalty and wealthy Romantics spent centuries building increasingly extravagant palaces into the hillsides. The result is a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of turrets, follies and gardens wrapped in near-permanent Atlantic mist.
The yellow-and-red Pena Palace crowns the ridge, the Moorish Castle's ramparts run along the crest beside it, and Quinta da Regaleira hides an initiation well spiralling nine levels underground. In the town itself, the twin chimneys of the National Palace mark the historic centre and its pastry shops selling travesseiros and queijadas.
Most people visit Sintra as a day trip from Lisbon, which is easy by train but means arriving alongside the crowds. Staying overnight lets you reach Pena at opening time and continue to Cabo da Roca, mainland Europe's westernmost point, and the beaches at Praia Grande and Guincho.
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April, May and October are the best months to visit Sintra. Temperatures are comfortable for walking between palaces and the crowds are lighter than in summer. July and August bring long queues at Pena Palace; winter is quiet but often wet and foggy.
Take the train from Rossio station, which runs every 20-30 minutes and takes about 40 minutes. From Lisbon Airport, take the metro to Rossio first, making the total journey around 55 minutes. The Lisboa Card covers the train fare.
Use the 434 tourist bus, which loops from the station to the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace. The palaces sit on steep hills several kilometres above the town, so walking up is a serious climb. Tuk-tuks and taxis are the alternative when the bus queue is long.
One full day covers two or three palaces, which is as much as most people want. Two days lets you add Monserrate, Cabo da Roca and the coast without rushing. Book Pena Palace tickets online with a timed slot before you go, as entry is capped.
Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira are the two most people prioritise. Pena is the colourful hilltop landmark; Regaleira has the gardens, grottoes and the spiral initiation well. The Moorish Castle's walls give the best views, and Monserrate is the quietest of the major sites.
Sintra is very safe, with the usual pickpocket caution on the crowded Lisbon train being the main thing to watch. The paths through the palace gardens can be slippery after rain, and the hills are steeper than they look on a map.
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Visa and entry
Entry rules, stay length and passport validity by nationality.
Best time to visit
The most comfortable stretch of the year in Sintra, based on 1991 to 2020 climate averages.
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