PARQUES DE SINTRA

There are some restrictions on private car traffic in Sintra, with some areas restricted to residents or public transport. Prepare in advance how you will get to the places you wish to visit, to ensure a leisurely visit. On the Parques de Sintra website, you'll find suggestions on how to get to the various parks and monuments by car, public transport or by taking advantage of the various walking routes available, which offer an unforgettable immersion in the magnificent mountain landscape.

The Palais National de Pena is like a sacred jewel crowning the Serra de Sintra, and in the 19th century it was also the driving force behind the transformation of this landscape, which is now a World Heritage Site. The immense surrounding park, in harmony with the fairytale character of the palace, arouses emotions of mystery, adventure and discovery in those who accept the invitation to explore its nooks and crannies.

The eternal work of D. Fernando II and the symbol par excellence of romanticism in Portugal, Pena opens the doors to the imagination of all who visit it, amid the colorful hues of the palace and the infinite shades of green that paint the surrounding exotic parkland. This idyllic landscape, often shrouded in the fog that is characteristic of the Serra de Sintra, seems like something out of a fairytale, and is the stuff of dreams for every generation that passes through and is dazzled by it.

At the heart of the Parc da Pena is the Cottage and Garden of the Countess of Edla, the American opera singer who captured the heart of D. Fernando II, after the loss of his first wife, Queen D. Maria II. Maria II.

Elise Friederike Hensler, Countess of Edla, together with D. Fernando, built an Alpine-style chalet in the western part of Pena Park, which served as the couple's place of recreation and romantic refuge. It's surrounded by a charming garden, waiting to be discovered.

With a privileged view over the Atlantic coast, the flood plains and the Serra de Sintra, this thousand-year-old Moorish castle of Muslim foundation has occupied, since the 10th century, a fundamental strategic position in the defense of the local territory and maritime access to the city of Lisbon.

Inhabited by the Moors until 1147, it was handed over to D. Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, following the conquest of the city of Lisbon. The Islamic quarter then gave way to a medieval village, whose occupation extended into the 15th century. Later, as early as the 19th century, D. Fernando II revived the medieval imagery of its walls, according to the romantic taste of the time. The history of the people who lived here, from Neolithic times to the Middle Ages, is told at the castle's Interpretation Centre, through archaeological discoveries on display and various interactive tools.

In the center of the village of Sintra, marking the landscape with the unique silhouette of the two conical chimneys that crown the royal kitchen, stands the only palace that has spanned the entire history of Portugal.

Today's Paço de Sintra is made up of numerous royal palaces. It's a collection of buildings that have been built, added to and adapted over the centuries, the date of the foundation of the oldest palace being an unsolved riddle to this day. Most probably, the first building was constructed around the 11th century, when Sintra was an Islamic territory. In the late Middle Ages, the Paço de Sintra was the center of a territory managed by the queens of Portugal, but it was also one of the favorite haunts of the Portuguese monarchs. A guardian of memories and witness to events that played a decisive role in Portugal's history, the Paço de Sintra offers an authentic journey back in time.

Situated in the heart of the Serra de Sintra, the Convento dos Capuchos stands in stark contrast to Sintra's lavish buildings. This Franciscan convent is distinguished by its simplicity, completely devoid of luxury and comfort.

Its reduced dimensions, the remarkable poverty of its construction and its cork cladding are all part of the mystique of this monument. Here, human construction merges with the natural elements, the surrounding vegetation and the enormous granite boulders, considered by the convent's inhabitants to be a "divine construction". The woods surrounding the building have been kept intact by the friars who lived there, and are today one of the most remarkable examples of Sintra's primeval forest.

A writers' retreat, Monserrate attracted many foreign travelers, especially English, who extolled its beauty in travelogues and engravings. When Francis Cook, a wealthy 19th-century English industrialist and art collector, visited this site on the northern slopes of the Sintra mountain, he was fascinated. From this passion was born a masterpiece of Romanticism: the park and palace of Monserrate.

Francis Cook turned his dream into reality, transforming Monserrate into what we know today, with its lush gardens - which dazzle visitors with exotic species from the four corners of the globe - and a palace that is a veritable ode to romantic architecture.

Located halfway between Lisbon and the historic center of Sintra, the Queluz National Palace enchants with its majesty and the exuberance of its architectural details. Intimately linked to the experiences of three generations of the Portuguese royal family, and a theater of intense emotions, the palace reflects the changing tastes and styles of the time, from Baroque to Rococo to Neoclassicism.

Surrounding the palace, scenic gardens invite visitors to relive the era of sumptuous 18th-century court festivities, with memories of gondola rides on the canal, theater, hunting parties, musical and literary evenings, masquerade balls, games and storytelling in the open air. A dream setting, enlivened by waterfalls and delicate water games.

Intimately linked to the tradition and customs of the 18th-century Portuguese court, the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art offers a return to the past to the rhythm of the elegant and precise "ballet" of Lusitano Thoroughbred horses from the Coudelaria de Alter.

Located in the gardens of the National Palace of Queluz, where it is possible to visit its facilities to discover its history and tradition, and with regular presentations to the public at the Picadeiro Henrique Calado, in Calçada da Ajuda (Belém), the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art is considered a national heritage and aims to promote the teaching, practice and dissemination of traditional Portuguese equestrian art, a cultural heritage unique in the world.

Up there, at an altitude of 488 metres, the sanctuary of Peninha enchants with its unshakeable magic and mystique. Built out of popular devotion, the chapel of Our Lady of Penha (Peninha) follows a supposed apparition of the Virgin Mary to a poor shepherdess. This architectural ensemble also includes the centuries-old hermitage of Saint Saturnin and an enigmatic romantic mansion built in 1918 by António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro (owner of Quinta da Regaleira).

A place of worship since ancient times and heir to a long magical-religious tradition, it is surrounded by legends that have spanned generations of pilgrims.

At the westernmost point of continental Europe, Cabo da Roca offers a unique panoramic view over the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean. The imposing lighthouse, with its white-tiled tower and red balcony, stands out as one of the oldest in Portugal.

In the vicinity of the lighthouse stands an emblematic cross with a tribute to Luis de Camões: "Behold, quási top of the head, Of all Europe, the Lusitanian Kingdom, Where the earth ends and the sea begins, And where Febo lies in the ocean" (The Lusíadas, Canto III, Camões). It is this condition of finisterre, the limit of the known world, that has made Cabo da Roca a sacred and legendary place, which continues to amaze those who visit it.