- Details
A stroll in Sintra, Cabo da Roca and Cascais is a true historical treasure, where you can find historical remnants of the Bronze Age at stations diverted from the History of Portugal,
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Pass By: Castelo dos Mouros, Sintra, Sintra Municipality, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Castelo dos Mouros - Sintra
Monuments
Winding over two ridges of the Serra de Sintra, the Moorish Castle dates back to the early days of the Moorish occupation of the Peninsula - the 8th Century.
After various attempts it was definitively taken by Dom Afonso Henriques in 1147, and there was built the first Christian Chapel of the borough, dedicated to São Pedro de Penaferrim.
In the romantic period, about 1860, the walls were restored under the supervision of Dom Fernando II, husband of Dona Maria II, who afforested the surrounding areas, and gave the old medieval ruins a new dignity. Of note are the Moorish Cistern in the interior, and the so-called Royal Tower.
Located about 3.5 km from the historical centre of Sintra.
Stop At: Park and National Palace of Pena
Palácio Nacional da Pena
Museums and Palaces
Pena National Palace
The fantastic Palácio da Pena is one of the best examples of 19th-century Romantic revivalism in Portugal.
Situated at the top of the Monte da Pena, the palace was built on the site of an old monastery belonging to the Order of St. Jerome. It was the fruit of the imagination of Dom Fernando of Saxe Coburg-Gotha, who married the queen Dona Maria II in 1836. After falling in love with Sintra, he decided to buy the convent and the surrounding land to build a summer palace for the royal family.
The king consort adopted Portuguese architectural and decorative forms for the palace, which he built according to the revivalist taste (neo-Gothic, neo-Manueline, neo-Islamic, neo-Renaissance), and, in the surrounding area, he decided to make a magnificent woodland park in the English style, with a wide variety of exotic tree species.
The interior of the palace is still decorated according to the tastes of the kings and queens who lived there, and its great highlight is the chapel, where it is still possible to see a magnificent alabaster altarpiece attributed to Nicolau Chanterenne (one of the architects of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, in Lisbon). Special reference should also be made to the painting of the walls with a trompe l’oeil effect and the azulejos.
A restaurant has now been installed in one of the wings of the palace, with a terrace that offers a beautiful panoramic view over the Serra de Sintra and the coast.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Centro Historico de Sintra, Sintra, Sintra Municipality, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
In the historical center of the romantic village of Sintra, (Portugal), many buildings and vestiges of various periods and cultural movements remain. It encompasses a diverse area of diverse heritage, including palaces, castles, farms and parks with different classifications. From municipal heritage to World Heritage, duly classified by UNESCO.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: National Palace of Sintra, Sintra, Sintra Municipality, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Palácio Nacional de Sintra
Museums and Palaces
Sintra National Palace
The Sintra national palace is unique amongst the royal mediaeval palaces in Portugal and the town’s most distinctive building.
Beginning with the nation’s first dynasties, Sintra was one of the preferred places of Portuguese kings and queens, although the palace that we can see nowadays owes its existence to an initiative of Dom João I, who rebuilt it, and Dom Manuel I, who enriched the building’s decorative character and added a new wing.
It is worth visiting the interior of the palace, where you will certainly find out a little more about the history of Portugal. The decoration is quite remarkable, being a combination of various artistic styles that depended on the respective tastes of the kings that lived here, and carried out in such a way as to give different names to the various rooms. In particular, the attention of visitors is drawn to the Sala dos Cisnes (Swans’ Room), the Sala dos Brasões (Armoury), the Sala das Pegas (Magpie or Reading Room) and the chapel.
Here you can also find a brief history of the development of the decorative tile (azulejo) in Portugal, with examples ranging from the Spanish-Moorish tiles brought by the king Dom Manuel to the typical blue-and-white tiles of the 18th century.
Outside, the most striking and distinctive feature of the palace is the two large conical chimneys of the kitchen, each measuring 33 metres high, now adopted as the symbol of Sintra.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra, Sintra Municipality, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Palácio e Quinta da Regaleira
Museums and Palaces
Very close to the historic centre of Sintra is Quinta Regaleira, one of the town’s most enigmatic sights.
The palace of Quinta da Regaleira was built in the early 20th century by the millionaire António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro (1848-1920), who managed to realise one of his dreams here with the help of the scenographic architect Luigi Manini (1848-1936). Surrounded by lush green vegetation, the Palácio da Regaleira is a fascinating discovery.
The palace was built in a Romantic revivalist style, in an imitation of Gothic, Manueline and Renaissance architectural and decorative forms, mixed with a mythical and esoteric symbolism.
A special mention is reserved for the Capela da Santíssima Trindade (Chapel of the Holy Trinity), where visitors can descend via a spiral staircase into the crypt to discover the monumental initiation well that, at the bottom, leads via a grotto to a surprising lake hidden in the middle of the gardens.
Duration: 2 hours
Pass By: Monserrate Palace, Sintra, Sintra Municipality, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Palácio e Parque de Monserrate
Museums and Palaces
Park and Palace of Monserrate
This fantastic Romantic park was created by William Beckford, who fell in love with the Serra de Sintra.
The park and palace of Monserrate, formerly a farm with fruit orchards and crop fields, were first imagined by Gerard DeVisme, who rented the farm from the Melo e Castro family in the 18th century. He was followed by William Beckford, who also lived here, and by Francis Cook.
It was, however, Francis Cook, the first Viscount of Monserrate, who, together with the landscape painter William Stockdale, the botanist William Nevill and the master gardener James Burt, created the contrasting scenarios that are to be found in the park, where narrow winding footpaths intertwine amongst ruins, nooks and crannies, waterfalls and lakes, in what, at first sight, seems to be an apparently disordered fashion.
Spontaneously growing species from Portugal (arbutus-trees, holly trees, cork oak-trees, amongst others) combine with others originating from all of the world’s five continents, inviting visitors to enjoy a stroll through plant varieties of the whole world, ranging from such countries as Australia to Mexico and Japan. Altogether, there are more than 2500 species.
Particularly worth a mention inside the palace are the Music Room and the luxurious reception rooms, such as the Indian living-room, the dining-room and the library, all of which are to be found on the ground floor. The tour of the palace also takes visitors to the first floor, where the private apartments were located
Stop At: Cabo da Roca, Colares, Sintra Municipality, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Cabo da Roca
Other
If you go to Sintra, don’t miss the chance to visit the westernmost point of mainland Europe, Cabo da Roca.
Located at latitude 38º 47´north and longitude 9º 30´west, Cabo da Roca is an important coordinate for those sailing along the coast, as it is the most westerly point of mainland Europe, a fact borne out by the certificates that visitors take away as a souvenir.
Around 150 metres above the sea, here you can have a panoramic view over the Serra de Sintra and the coast, which makes it worth the visit.
Historical records indicate that there was a fort on Cabo da Roca in the 17th century that played an important part in guarding the entrance to Lisbon’s harbour, forming a defensive line along the coast, especially during the Peninsular Wars. Today there are only traces, as well as the lighthouse which is still an important point for navigation.
It lies within the Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais and is one of the points of interest on the walking trails that can be followed here, along the coast.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Boca do Inferno, Cascais, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Boca do Inferno is located on the Costa da Guia, west of the village of Cascais, in Portugal.
The name "Boca do Inferno" attributed to this place is due to the morphological analogy and the tremendous and frightening impact of the waves that make themselves felt there.
The characteristic that makes up the rock in the cliff is of carbonated nature. The erosion exerted by the action of rainwater that, containing dissolved carbon dioxide, causes the dissolution of the carbonate. Through this process cavities and caves are formed inside the limestones.
It may well have been an old grotto. With the abasement of the upper layers the cave will have been destroyed, leaving an enormous cavity in the open.
With unique characteristics, it is a place of leisure, where you can enjoy a divine landscape and magnificent sunsets, being only overshadowed by not rare suicides committed in its dangerous and unprotected cliff.
At present, the sea with violent and merciless attacks rises in a deadly white foam for tens of meters, continuing to wear out the millennial rock, increasing in this way the spectacular and the size of the Mouth of Hell.
In 1896, a film by Englishman Henry Short already showed the relentless force of the sea to hit against the rocks in the place.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Centro Historico de Cascais, Cascais, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Cascais
Towns and Villages
Situated close to the sea and traditionally a fishing village, Cascais enjoyed an important period of development in the 14th century, when it was a major stopping off point for boats on their way to Lisbon, turning it into a very busy port at that time.
It was, however, in the second half of the 19th century, when sea bathing became a popular activity, that Cascais was given the impetus that transformed it into a very fashionable summer resort. The great driving force behind this transformation was the king of Portugal, Dom Luís I, who, in 1870, converted the Fortaleza da Cidadela into the summer residence of the Portuguese monarchy. The king's example was immediately copied by the nobility, who built palaces and extremely beautiful villas in the town, where they spent the hottest season of the year, completely transforming the appearance of the former fishing village.
Cascais also began to attract the attention of the curious, who came here to enjoy a stroll by the seaside, and access to the town was greatly facilitated by the opening of the railway line between Pedrouços and Cascais in 1889. Nowadays, Cascais is a very lively and cosmopolitan town that still preserves a great deal of its earlier aristocratic atmosphere.
Particularly recommended is a stroll through its streets, where you will find shops of the highest quality, or perhaps you might prefer to enjoy a few moments' rest at one of the many outdoor cafés and restaurants scattered about the town. The beaches continue to be one of Cascais' greatest attractions, and it is possible to choose from amongst those that are situated in the town's sheltered bay or those a little further away in the area around Guincho, (already forming part of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park), where there are excellent conditions for surfing and windsurfing. The Boca do Inferno (literally the Jaws of Hell), an inlet along the coast that is surrounded by steep rocks and caves, continues to be a natural curiosity attracting many thousands of visitors to marvel at the brute strength of the sea.
A special mention is reserved for the local cuisine, especially the fresh fish and shellfish dishes that are served here and which can be enjoyed in the region's many restaurants.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: FantasticRide, Sintra, Sintra Municipality, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Fantastic Ride is a young Portuguese company that develops activity as a Tourist Animation Agent providing solutions in ‘Tours & Routes’ format collaborating in the promotion of Portuguese Heritage and Culture presenting the locations and history of our magnificent Portugal!
As support for tourism and local activities we offer ‘Transfers’ services to and from the airport from any location in Portugal, and can carry up to 8 passengers in a safe, comfortable, air-conditioned and free Wi-Fi hotspot. Our drivers are professionals who select the routes best suited to the needs of our customers.
We intend to establish strong relationships where customer satisfaction (and our partners) is the main objective, offering support through personalised service!
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Pass By: Castelo dos Mouros, Sintra, Sintra Municipality, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Castelo dos Mouros - Sintra
Monuments
Winding over two ridges of the Serra de Sintra, the Moorish Castle dates back to the early days of the Moorish occupation of the Peninsula - the 8th Century.
After various attempts it was definitively taken by Dom Afonso Henriques in 1147, and there was built the first Christian Chapel of the borough, dedicated to São Pedro de Penaferrim.
In the romantic period, about 1860, the walls were restored under the supervision of Dom Fernando II, husband of Dona Maria II, who afforested the surrounding areas, and gave the old medieval ruins a new dignity. Of note are the Moorish Cistern in the interior, and the so-called Royal Tower.
Located about 3.5 km from the historical centre of Sintra.
Stop At: Park and National Palace of Pena
Palácio Nacional da Pena
Museums and Palaces
Pena National Palace
The fantastic Palácio da Pena is one of the best examples of 19th-century Romantic revivalism in Portugal.
Situated at the top of the Monte da Pena, the palace was built on the site of an old monastery belonging to the Order of St. Jerome. It was the fruit of the imagination of Dom Fernando of Saxe Coburg-Gotha, who married the queen Dona Maria II in 1836. After falling in love with Sintra, he decided to buy the convent and the surrounding land to build a summer palace for the royal family.
The king consort adopted Portuguese architectural and decorative forms for the palace, which he built according to the revivalist taste (neo-Gothic, neo-Manueline, neo-Islamic, neo-Renaissance), and, in the surrounding area, he decided to make a magnificent woodland park in the English style, with a wide variety of exotic tree species.
The interior of the palace is still decorated according to the tastes of the kings and queens who lived there, and its great highlight is the chapel, where it is still possible to see a magnificent alabaster altarpiece attributed to Nicolau Chanterenne (one of the architects of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, in Lisbon). Special reference should also be made to the painting of the walls with a trompe l’oeil effect and the azulejos.
A restaurant has now been installed in one of the wings of the palace, with a terrace that offers a beautiful panoramic view over the Serra de Sintra and the coast.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Centro Historico de Sintra, Sintra, Sintra Municipality, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
In the historical center of the romantic village of Sintra, (Portugal), many buildings and vestiges of various periods and cultural movements remain. It encompasses a diverse area of diverse heritage, including palaces, castles, farms and parks with different classifications. From municipal heritage to World Heritage, duly classified by UNESCO.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: National Palace of Sintra, Sintra, Sintra Municipality, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Palácio Nacional de Sintra
Museums and Palaces
Sintra National Palace
The Sintra national palace is unique amongst the royal mediaeval palaces in Portugal and the town’s most distinctive building.
Beginning with the nation’s first dynasties, Sintra was one of the preferred places of Portuguese kings and queens, although the palace that we can see nowadays owes its existence to an initiative of Dom João I, who rebuilt it, and Dom Manuel I, who enriched the building’s decorative character and added a new wing.
It is worth visiting the interior of the palace, where you will certainly find out a little more about the history of Portugal. The decoration is quite remarkable, being a combination of various artistic styles that depended on the respective tastes of the kings that lived here, and carried out in such a way as to give different names to the various rooms. In particular, the attention of visitors is drawn to the Sala dos Cisnes (Swans’ Room), the Sala dos Brasões (Armoury), the Sala das Pegas (Magpie or Reading Room) and the chapel.
Here you can also find a brief history of the development of the decorative tile (azulejo) in Portugal, with examples ranging from the Spanish-Moorish tiles brought by the king Dom Manuel to the typical blue-and-white tiles of the 18th century.
Outside, the most striking and distinctive feature of the palace is the two large conical chimneys of the kitchen, each measuring 33 metres high, now adopted as the symbol of Sintra.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra, Sintra Municipality, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Palácio e Quinta da Regaleira
Museums and Palaces
Very close to the historic centre of Sintra is Quinta Regaleira, one of the town’s most enigmatic sights.
The palace of Quinta da Regaleira was built in the early 20th century by the millionaire António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro (1848-1920), who managed to realise one of his dreams here with the help of the scenographic architect Luigi Manini (1848-1936). Surrounded by lush green vegetation, the Palácio da Regaleira is a fascinating discovery.
The palace was built in a Romantic revivalist style, in an imitation of Gothic, Manueline and Renaissance architectural and decorative forms, mixed with a mythical and esoteric symbolism.
A special mention is reserved for the Capela da Santíssima Trindade (Chapel of the Holy Trinity), where visitors can descend via a spiral staircase into the crypt to discover the monumental initiation well that, at the bottom, leads via a grotto to a surprising lake hidden in the middle of the gardens.
Duration: 2 hours
Pass By: Monserrate Palace, Sintra, Sintra Municipality, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Palácio e Parque de Monserrate
Museums and Palaces
Park and Palace of Monserrate
This fantastic Romantic park was created by William Beckford, who fell in love with the Serra de Sintra.
The park and palace of Monserrate, formerly a farm with fruit orchards and crop fields, were first imagined by Gerard DeVisme, who rented the farm from the Melo e Castro family in the 18th century. He was followed by William Beckford, who also lived here, and by Francis Cook.
It was, however, Francis Cook, the first Viscount of Monserrate, who, together with the landscape painter William Stockdale, the botanist William Nevill and the master gardener James Burt, created the contrasting scenarios that are to be found in the park, where narrow winding footpaths intertwine amongst ruins, nooks and crannies, waterfalls and lakes, in what, at first sight, seems to be an apparently disordered fashion.
Spontaneously growing species from Portugal (arbutus-trees, holly trees, cork oak-trees, amongst others) combine with others originating from all of the world’s five continents, inviting visitors to enjoy a stroll through plant varieties of the whole world, ranging from such countries as Australia to Mexico and Japan. Altogether, there are more than 2500 species.
Particularly worth a mention inside the palace are the Music Room and the luxurious reception rooms, such as the Indian living-room, the dining-room and the library, all of which are to be found on the ground floor. The tour of the palace also takes visitors to the first floor, where the private apartments were located
Stop At: Cabo da Roca, Colares, Sintra Municipality, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Cabo da Roca
Other
If you go to Sintra, don’t miss the chance to visit the westernmost point of mainland Europe, Cabo da Roca.
Located at latitude 38º 47´north and longitude 9º 30´west, Cabo da Roca is an important coordinate for those sailing along the coast, as it is the most westerly point of mainland Europe, a fact borne out by the certificates that visitors take away as a souvenir.
Around 150 metres above the sea, here you can have a panoramic view over the Serra de Sintra and the coast, which makes it worth the visit.
Historical records indicate that there was a fort on Cabo da Roca in the 17th century that played an important part in guarding the entrance to Lisbon’s harbour, forming a defensive line along the coast, especially during the Peninsular Wars. Today there are only traces, as well as the lighthouse which is still an important point for navigation.
It lies within the Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais and is one of the points of interest on the walking trails that can be followed here, along the coast.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Boca do Inferno, Cascais, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Boca do Inferno is located on the Costa da Guia, west of the village of Cascais, in Portugal.
The name "Boca do Inferno" attributed to this place is due to the morphological analogy and the tremendous and frightening impact of the waves that make themselves felt there.
The characteristic that makes up the rock in the cliff is of carbonated nature. The erosion exerted by the action of rainwater that, containing dissolved carbon dioxide, causes the dissolution of the carbonate. Through this process cavities and caves are formed inside the limestones.
It may well have been an old grotto. With the abasement of the upper layers the cave will have been destroyed, leaving an enormous cavity in the open.
With unique characteristics, it is a place of leisure, where you can enjoy a divine landscape and magnificent sunsets, being only overshadowed by not rare suicides committed in its dangerous and unprotected cliff.
At present, the sea with violent and merciless attacks rises in a deadly white foam for tens of meters, continuing to wear out the millennial rock, increasing in this way the spectacular and the size of the Mouth of Hell.
In 1896, a film by Englishman Henry Short already showed the relentless force of the sea to hit against the rocks in the place.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Centro Historico de Cascais, Cascais, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Cascais
Towns and Villages
Situated close to the sea and traditionally a fishing village, Cascais enjoyed an important period of development in the 14th century, when it was a major stopping off point for boats on their way to Lisbon, turning it into a very busy port at that time.
It was, however, in the second half of the 19th century, when sea bathing became a popular activity, that Cascais was given the impetus that transformed it into a very fashionable summer resort. The great driving force behind this transformation was the king of Portugal, Dom Luís I, who, in 1870, converted the Fortaleza da Cidadela into the summer residence of the Portuguese monarchy. The king's example was immediately copied by the nobility, who built palaces and extremely beautiful villas in the town, where they spent the hottest season of the year, completely transforming the appearance of the former fishing village.
Cascais also began to attract the attention of the curious, who came here to enjoy a stroll by the seaside, and access to the town was greatly facilitated by the opening of the railway line between Pedrouços and Cascais in 1889. Nowadays, Cascais is a very lively and cosmopolitan town that still preserves a great deal of its earlier aristocratic atmosphere.
Particularly recommended is a stroll through its streets, where you will find shops of the highest quality, or perhaps you might prefer to enjoy a few moments' rest at one of the many outdoor cafés and restaurants scattered about the town. The beaches continue to be one of Cascais' greatest attractions, and it is possible to choose from amongst those that are situated in the town's sheltered bay or those a little further away in the area around Guincho, (already forming part of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park), where there are excellent conditions for surfing and windsurfing. The Boca do Inferno (literally the Jaws of Hell), an inlet along the coast that is surrounded by steep rocks and caves, continues to be a natural curiosity attracting many thousands of visitors to marvel at the brute strength of the sea.
A special mention is reserved for the local cuisine, especially the fresh fish and shellfish dishes that are served here and which can be enjoyed in the region's many restaurants.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: FantasticRide, Sintra, Sintra Municipality, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Fantastic Ride is a young Portuguese company that develops activity as a Tourist Animation Agent providing solutions in ‘Tours & Routes’ format collaborating in the promotion of Portuguese Heritage and Culture presenting the locations and history of our magnificent Portugal!
As support for tourism and local activities we offer ‘Transfers’ services to and from the airport from any location in Portugal, and can carry up to 8 passengers in a safe, comfortable, air-conditioned and free Wi-Fi hotspot. Our drivers are professionals who select the routes best suited to the needs of our customers.
We intend to establish strong relationships where customer satisfaction (and our partners) is the main objective, offering support through personalised service!
Schedule details
Select a month to view a calendar of availability and departure details.
Departure Dates:
Departure Point:
Traveler pickup is offered
Departure Time:
9:00 AM
Duration:
8 to 9 hours
Pricing information
Click the link below to check pricing & availability on your preferred travel date. Our pricing is constantly updated to ensure you always receive the lowest price possible.
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Pricing information
Palacio da Pena
Inclusions:
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- Round-trip private transfer
- Driver/guide
- Bottled water
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Private tour
- Transport by private vehicle
- WiFi on board
Exclusions:
- Food and drinks
- Tickets
- Entry/Admission - Park and National Palace of Pena
- Entry/Admission - National Palace of Sintra
- Entry/Admission - Quinta da Regaleira
Additional Information:
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
- Wheelchair accessible
- Dress code is smart casual
- A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Comfortable walking shoes are recomended
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Ticket Info
You can present either a paper or mobile ticket for this activity.
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Local Operator Information:
Complete Operator information, including local telephone numbers at your destination, are included on your Confirmation Ticket. Our Product Managers select only the most experienced and reliable operators in each destination, removing the guesswork for you, and ensuring your peace of mind.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
Additional details