A Winter Day in Sintra

For centuries the hills of the Serra de Sintra were where Portugal’s kings and aristocrats came to escape the heat. They left palaces, gardens and follies scattered through the forest, and in 1995 the whole landscape was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. The hills keep their own weather, cooler and damper than Lisbon: bring a layer and shoes with grip, because the paths between the sights are steep and often wet.

Pena Palace

The red and yellow palace on the highest hill was built from the 1840s for King Ferdinand II, on the ruins of a monastery. It mixes Gothic, Moorish and Manueline styles with complete confidence, and the park around it is planted with trees from every continent. Go first thing in the morning, when the mist is often still lifting off the towers.

The Moorish Castle

Just below Pena, the walls of the Moorish Castle run along the ridge. The castle dates from the Muslim period, between the eighth and ninth centuries, and was restored by Ferdinand II as part of his Romantic landscape. On a clear day you can see across the plain to the Atlantic.

Quinta da Regaleira

Built in the early 20th century for the collector António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, and designed by the Italian architect Luigi Manini, the Quinta is a palace, chapel and garden full of grottoes and tunnels. Its best-known feature is the Initiation Well, a spiral staircase that winds down nine levels into the ground.

In the old town

The National Palace in the centre of town is easy to spot by its two great conical chimneys, which rise from the royal kitchens. Before you leave, stop at Piriquita for a travesseiro, a pastry of puff pastry and almond cream, and a queijada, Sintra’s small cheese tart.

Getting there and around

Trains leave Lisbon’s Rossio station for Sintra throughout the day and take about 40 minutes. From the station, the 434 bus loops through the old town, the Moorish Castle and Pena. Book Pena on the Parques de Sintra website, where entry is by timed ticket, and check winter opening hours before you go. To make a loop of it, continue to the coast at Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe, and on to Cascais.