We are not tour people; we generally like to explore places on our own. But tours do offer advantages when you want to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time. So, we bit the bullet and took a full-day, small-group tour of Sintra and Cascais. It turned out to be a great decision and good investment of both money and time. We saw the highlights of a very beautiful area, learned a ton about Portugal, Portuguese history and the language, and met some very nice people.
Sintra is about 20 miles west of Lisbon. It is quite easy to see why Portuguese royals spent their summers in Sintra and why Lord Byron referred to the town as a “glorious Eden.” There are multiple palaces to visit in a small area, many of which are built near the top of the forested hills offering spectacular views toward the Atlantic and to Lisbon.
Our day started at the Pena Palace, built in the late 19th century in a mish-mash of styles and colors. This place truly is a sight to see. It is colorful and outrageous in its design and decorations. King Ferdinand II was a true “Romanticist,” i.e., he had extravagant taste. This was the last palace occupied by the Portuguese royals before ceding the throne in 1910.
The best part about the castle, besides the jaw-dropping décor, were the 360-degree views. You can see the 8th-11th Century Moorish Castle (picture below) and the Atlantic. We were happy to be in a small van going up the narrow and twisty roads to the palace rather than the full-sized city tour bus we would have had to ride in if we didn't take a tour!
We had lunch in the town of Sintra, a charming but touristy village, and tried the famous travesseiros (pillow like cream-filled pastry) and queijadas (cheesecake tarts). Then we were off to see the coast.
Portugal is the westernmost country in continental Europe, with a beautiful coastline. We stopped at the westernmost point – Cabo de Roca, where the sun sets on the European continent.
Then we were on to Cascais, a former fishing village that gained fame as a resort for Portugal’s royal family. In addition, the current King of Spain grew up in Cascais where his family was exiled during Franco's regime. Of course, we tried the local ice cream.
It was a full and enjoyable day and we would not have seen as much or had the opportunity to pepper our guide with questions if we had taken the train and done it on our own. Our group included 3 Brits, a woman from Malaysia, and a couple from Rochester, NY. If you head to Lisbon, be sure to check out Sintra one way or another!
Até a próxima,
Shana & Jeff
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