[SINTRA, PORTUGAL] — Sintra is not just a single town, but an entire wooded (unusually so in these arid parts) nature preserve about an hour and a half outside of Lisbon. It’s the perfect daytrip from Lisbon or the perfect day trip from Cascais. Definitely well worth the drive and easy to find — all the roads and signs in Portugal are outstanding.  Pena Palace is the center attraction. It’s a big riot of color and architecture, surrounded by hundreds of acres of gardens and forests.

Plan a half a day, at least, or preferably a whole day, to make the loop through the forest and the half dozen towns and castles and sites within the preserve.

It is very busy. Very touristy. But very cool to see. Think of it like visiting the Vatican. Just endure. It’s worth it. You should definitely book a visit reservation in advance. I’ve had many friends turned away due to crowds and the now-limited entrance volumes.

I only had a half day here and got a late start. You can book tours from Lisbon or Cascais and they’ll take care of everything. Or bushwhack it yourself by car, as I did, but you’ll miss out on a lot of the stories and history. Since I was was there in 2013, tourism in Portugal has EXPLODED. Every Instagram post I see on Sintra complains about the crowds. So go early or go late to avoid the tour buses, the lighting is better, anyway. Or splurge for VIP tours and skip the lines and tangled parking.

The palace was rebuilt after the great earthquake that leveled so much of Lisbon, then rebuilt by the king in a bunch of different architectural styles.  From Moorish forts (damn Moors were everywhere!) to ornate castles to other follies in idyllic settings; the sites are mind-blowing. The must-see is the Palácio da Pena (Pena Palace) featured a lot in these pics. It became the summer palace of the royal family and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You can hike down to the Moor castle battlements, which I didn’t have time to do.

You can stop and have a nice tourist-clogged lunch in Sintra before heading out and a nice castle there, too. I only saw half the mix with the half day there, so if you have some time, explore more. It’s in all the guidebooks and well worth the trip, a definite must-see. You Should Go Here.

Inside Pena Palace

There’s a part of the castle that houses the ancient kitchens that used to provide for the whole castle.

You can spot the distinctive chimneys that funneled heat out of the huge kitchen.

You can see how they used to cook in the kitchens.

Follies and Gardens in Sintra and Pena Palace

When King Ferdinand rebuilt the palace, he had the surrounding forest filled with trees from all over the world.

More Information on Sintra

Here’s a companion post I have for the nearby beach town of Cascais.  Here’s a great article on Sintra from the website Culture Trip. And Lonely Planet’s view of visiting Sintra. And a post on 15 Things to do in Sintra from Hand Luggage Only. And TripAdvisor’s Guide to Sintra. And the official Visit Portugal website guide to Sintra. And Conde Nast Traveler’s article on The Perfect Daytrip in Sintra. And from The Telegraph, a guide to Sintra.

— Last Visited July 2013, Updated Post January 2020 —