If you have only four days in Lisbon, one deserves to be devoted to a Sintra day trip. Situated just outside of Portugal’s capital, this small town is home to some of the most magnificent and magical palaces you will ever see. Further away from Sintra, another unmissable sight is Cabo da Roca, the end of the world, the Westernmost point of the European continent, which makes me shiver just thinking about it.
We managed to visit Sintra and Cabo da Roca in one day! Follow our advice to enjoy an amazing day of incredible sceneries and fairy-tale sights.
Where are Sintra and Cabo da Roca
From Lisbon, Sintra is some 30 km away, and Cabo da Roca approximately 20 km more, towards the West. Sintra is located on hills (you can see the Ocean from Pena Palace!) and Cabo da Roca is on a cliff overlooking the Ocean.
Map from Google Maps.
How to get to Sintra and Cabo da Roca
By public transport: bus and train
It is easy to travel from Lisbon to Sintra by train (main website here) from Rossio station in approximately 30 minutes. The Sintra train station (map) is located at the feet of the hill, and bus 434 (schedule) will take you to the palaces on top of the hill (it’s a long way! Don’t walk it!). From Sintra to Cabo da Roca you can take bus 403 (schedule), and then the same bus to Cascais. Take a train back from Cascais to Lisbon.
By car
We were really lucky with our local friends, who came with us by train from Lisbon to Sintra, then drove by car from Sintra to Cabo da Roca, and back to Lisbon. In particular, the countryside and hills from Sintra to Cabo da Roca are so gorgeous that they made it absolutely worth it. Renting a car would really give you extra freedom, but possibly also extra hassle for parking in Sintra.
What to see in Sintra
Check out the official website of the Sintra park: there are so many palaces and castles and parks in Sintra! To be efficient, we decided to dedicate the morning to only Palace of Pena (Palacio da Pena) and its Garden, instead of rushing through Palacio da Pena, the Moorish Castle, and Quinta da Regaleira.
What to see in Palace of Pena
We spent almost one hour and a half at Palacio da Pena. We started with the exterior: the exotic architecture and decoration, the gorgeous tiles and bright colours are absolutely stunning.
Make sure you walk through the gate in the blue building: surprise, what a panorama! The Atlantic Ocean is so close by! And you can even see the Moorish Castle walls.
We continued with the tour to the interior, where we read about its complex history (well written in English), and appreciated the intricate carvings and decorations on walls and furniture.
We were absolutely stunned by the diverse architectural and decorative styles, joining gothic, Hispano-Moresque, Manueline, Romantic, Rococo, adding a bit of catholic heritage from when the building was a monastery, some Islamic influences, and even a touch of Disney-ish bavarian castle.
It was, after all, renovated in the 1850s by King Ferdinand II (Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and Queen Maria II, and later his second wife Elise Hensler, Duchess of Edla. King Ferdinand II and Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria were distantly related – Palacio da Pena and Miramare Castle in Trieste (Italy) were built/renovated by these men in the same period. I wonder if they influenced each other.
A walk through the Park of Palace of Pena
We walked for approximately 45 minutes in the wild and excessive park, and maybe 45 more minutes walking in the woods down the hill, under the Moorish Castle and back to the town. The weather was nice, so we really enjoyed the peace and quiet after the crowd at the Palace. If it’s rainy… I would skip it.
By the time we reached the city centre, we were really hungry! After lunch, it was time to go to Cabo da Roca.
What to see in Cabo da Roca
Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point of mainland Europe. It is located on top of cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean: the atmosphere is very romantic and dramatic, especially if you already know a bit of Portuguese history, or the drive of all Europeans to explore the world a few centuries ago.
After the parking lot/bust stop, there is a lighthouse with a tourist office and toilets; further towards the cliffs, you will find the monument which marks the famous spot.
Make sure you get there at least one hour or so before sunset: the cliffs are long and spacious, but it’s a famous spot, so it will be crowded. There were many families, and groups of Italians and Asians: you will need some patience before you can take your shot with the monument marking the westernmost point of mainland Europe, or your new profile picture while staring at the immensity of the ocean. I cannot even begin to imagine how crowded it must be in the summer! On the other hand, on a long June/July day with sunset at 9 PM, you do have more daylight hours to enjoy the scenery.
Be efficient: avoid the crowd
Again, choosing January was a smart idea. The weather was fantastic, with fresh air, warm sun and a deep blue sky: quite an exception of the infamously bad weather that hits Sintra, a very humid and rainy microclimate. We went around Palacio da Pena in the morning with a very small crowd, and had to queue for a picture only on the fantastic passage above the colorful walls. The restaurants in Sintra were quite crowded, but the service was fast.