Sintra, Portugal
Dear Sintra, Fairy Tale with a Sensible Pair of Shoes
- Reading time
- 3 minutes
Dear Sintra,
You look like something from a storybook: a yellow and red palace on a forested peak, a castle wall snaking along a ridge, a spiral well that seems to descend into the earth. You are also very, very hilly.
Your microclimate is cooler and damper than Lisbon's, which is why nineteenth-century royals and aristocrats came here to escape the summer heat. It is also why your hilltops are often wrapped in mist.
This letter is for anyone planning a day trip: a little advice on timing, transport and shoes.
What we love
♥Pena Palace, early
The Romantic palace is wildly colourful. Timed tickets and arriving at opening help avoid the worst of the queues. The surrounding park is just as rewarding.
♥Quinta da Regaleira's initiation well
A spiral staircase descends into the ground inside a garden of grottoes and tunnels. The queue for the well can be long; the rest of the garden is worth time too.
♥The Moorish Castle walls
The walls trace the ridge with spectacular views. The paths are uneven and exposed in wind.
♥Travesseiros and queijadas
Sintra's traditional pastries. Travesseiros are flaky, almond-filled pillows; queijadas are small cheese tarts. Look for long-established bakeries.
What we'd tell a friend
- Getting there
- Trains from Lisbon's Rossio station take about forty minutes. Avoid driving into the historic centre, where roads are narrow and parking is very limited.
- Getting between sights
- The sites are spread over steep hills. Local buses link them, but can be very crowded in high season. Walking between them is possible but tiring.
- How long
- One full day is enough for two or three sites. Staying overnight lets you see the town quietly in the evening.
- Shoes and layers
- Proper walking shoes and a light jacket even in summer, as it is often cooler and damper than Lisbon.
This is general guidance. Prices, timetables, opening hours and entry rules change, so please check the official sources below before you travel.
Handle with care
Sintra's popularity has created traffic and congestion that affect residents. Take the train, avoid peak weekend days if you can, and stay on marked paths in the park.
Before you go
- Parques de Sintra ↗ (opens an external site)
- CP Comboios de Portugal (trains) ↗ (opens an external site)
- UNESCO: Cultural Landscape of Sintra ↗ (opens an external site)
Sintra, you are a fairy tale that makes our legs ache. We will bring sensible shoes and an early train ticket.
With love,
The WTWL Team
Written April 2026
Spotted something out of date? Send us a correction.
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