Portugal (Spring 2023) - Lisbon (Day 4)
Sintra Day
On this day we went on a day trip to Sintra which is a very popular thing to do. You take the train west and inland to the town of Sintra where the royal palace is located. The distance isn’t that far but takes a while due to all the stops.
Piriquita
The first order of business was breakfast. Looking back, I had a lot of pastries in Portugal.
This place is pretty popular and they had some signature pastries on the menu so of course you have to try them.
There was a line at the door when they opened because everyone is doing the same thing which is catching an early train to Sintra to spend the day and need their coffee.
They also have a take out counter in the front as well.
Walking around town
Quinta da Regaleira
This was our first destination and it reminds me of Hearst Castle which is an impressive compound built by a rich guy.
You can tour the impressive gardens, the chapel and some of the rooms of the mansion.
The Well
Everyone comes to see the highlight of the Quinta da Regaleira which is the well. This is the second place we visited on this trip that is listed in the Atlas Obscura. The well wasn’t built for water but was possibly for ceremonies. What ceremonies? Who knows? The mysterious dramatic appearance of it does let your imagination think of possible creepy things.
National Palace of Pena
This is the Neuschwanstein Castle of Portugal. Especially from far away, it does look like a fairy tale castle with its bright colors on top of a hill.
I actually found the place to be more visually appealing and impressive from far away rather than close up
Everyone comes to see this castle and you have to plan your day around the visit because you have to get a timed ticket. So you have to be a little strategic about how you spend the time before you get here to make sure you are not too far away.
We decided to walk up to the castle which was quite a haul uphill. We got some side-eye from some drivers who thought we were not making the wisest choice. I may hire a driver if I ever go back.
It was a pretty long walk up from town
There is a garden area which you can explore but it looked hilly and I was done with walking uphill. Your ticket gets you into the palace and you can follow the path around all of the display rooms and halls. The inside tour ends at the kitchen.
There is an audio guide but don’t waste your time or Euros. The cell signal is marginal for downloading it and you can just read the signs that say the same thing.
Up close you can see the wear and tear on the building and it looks a bit less impressive but it is interesting to see the different decor and seeing how the old royalty lived. The interiors were very ornate. I find concrete to be a little less impressive than stone for castle walls.
Views from the outside and the chapel
The views from atop the castle are pretty impressive as you can see the Atlantic ocean from there.
Castle of the Moors
We had a little bit more uphill left in the day to explore this place but it had the best views in Sintra.
This ancient Moorish fortification sits at the highpoint in the countryside and you can walk the walls. There are some sites as you approach showing prehistoric burial sites as well as an old chapel.
You need to purchase a ticket to enter but it’s worth it for the views. I think you get the best view of the Pena Palace from here as well.
Cantinho da Vila
Back into the center of town in Sintra, we searched out a place to eat. We found this place down a small alley and decided to give it a try.
I wanted to try some of the traditional Portuguese classics. We had the bacalhau a bras and the duck rice. Both were very good here.
Back in Lisbon, we stopped by a convenience store to get a bottle of wine and some chips for late night snacks
These ham flavored chips were meh. I would pass on these next time.