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Sintra, Portugal – What (Real Life) Fairytales Are Made Of

After spending 3 weeks traveling around Portugal, I did something that I rarely do on my travels – and that is to return to a place I have already been to. The way I see it, there is always something new to discover or a spot I haven’t been to. And while that is true nearly 99% of the time, I realized that I would be missing out by having only done a day trip to this fairy tale-like hamlet nestled in the mountains just outside of Lisbon.

The first destination was to Pena Palace that is perched at the top of the hill, with its brightly colored walls that can be seen from miles away. Completed in 1854, the construction of this palace is an homage to several types of architecture ranging from Romanticism, Gothic Revival, and Moorish. While one can walk up the palace, I caught a local Tuk-Tuk, which is basically a small motorized rickshaw that can negotiate narrow streets.

Once I arrived at the top of the hill, I purchased my ticket and entered the grounds of Pena Palace. The park surrounding the palace spreads for over 200 hectares (495 acres) and a diverse and exotic mix of plants and trees were brought from all over the world to be planted. These included specimens from North America, Australia, China, Japan, Africa and New Zealand. It was worth taking the time to explore this area as I made my way to the palace, as there are many interesting things to see and experience as I continued to go up to the palace gates.

The palace itself is an artistic masterpiece. It is opulent and grandiose in every possible way. It was intentionally planned that way, as were many buildings and landmarks from this time in European history which was heavily influenced by Romanticism, which was defined by an imitation of older periods of art and design. It was difficult to say whether I was more impressed with the interior of the palace with its stunning artwork, intricate tilework, and luxurious furnishings, or the exterior terraces which afforded not only amazing views of the surrounding countryside, but also the prominent clock tower, gothic statues of gargoyles, and the Neo-Moorish domes.

While not an overly huge building, as you might expect a palace to be, its location, eclectic architecture, extravagant park, and montage of bright colors allowed Pena Palace to be classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

I recommend purchasing a combo ticket that allows you access to the nearby Moorish Castle. This is situated on an adjacent peak only a 10-minute walk from the palace entrance and I found that it was just as fascinating of a place as Pena Palace, but in a completely different way. Built in the 10th century by the Moors as a strategic fortification, the castle gave them an excellent vantage point to look out of the Atlantic coast, the hills surrounding Sintra, and the floodplain. It was constructed during the Islamic rule of Portugal and the Moors lived in this fortress until 1147, when Sintra was handed to Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal, after his conquest of Lisbon and Santarem. The weather was overcast when I arrived and quickly began to rain as I sought cover in one of the lookout turrets. The fog rolled in and gave

the entire fortress a medieval feel to it that I can only describe as haunting and my imagination kept reminding me of the West Yorkshire moors of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. I’m not sure where that came from, but I let my imagination run with it.

Over the centuries, the fortress fell into disrepair as its original purpose was no longer required by the local Christian population. Restoration on the Moorish Castle was started around the same time that the Pena Palace was being built. In 1995, UNESCO also classified the Moorish Castle as a World Heritage Site creating a Sintra Cultural Landscape, which includes several additional landmarks and monuments scattered across this area, including Monserrate Palace, the Quinta de Regaleira, the Sintra National Palace, and several others.

On my initial day trip to Sintra, I only covered Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle, aside from spending time exploring the charming central square and surrounding shops and restaurants. On my return trip, I spent a night and explored many of the landmarks I had missed. I am glad that I made that return trip before my departure from Portugal.

Sintra deserves no less than 2 to 3 days to visit all of its amazing historical locations. This was the highlight of my 3-week. The entire area is the jewel in the crown of Portugal. Sintra will certainly beckon me back if I ever find myself in Portugal again.

If you would like to travel to the fairy tale town of Sintra, explore the Algarve coast along the southern border, or marvel at the rugged terrain of the Madeira archipelago, head over to our Portugal page and find your own adventure on the edge of Europe.