Tourist Attractions in Sintra

The most interesting and beautiful tourist sites in Sintra

Photos, reviews, descriptions, and links to maps

About Sintra

The Portuguese town of Sintra is made up of magnificent palaces, exotic parks and beautiful natural landscapes. The famous Cape Roca and the Sintra-Cascais National Park are within easy reach. The city is 27 kilometres from the Portuguese capital, so it is easy to get there.

Sintra has a milder climate due to the proximity of the ocean, a calmer and more peaceful atmosphere, and the abundance of historical monuments and a large flow of tourists does not seem to disturb the peaceful flow of provincial life. Since the 12th century, the city has been the summer residence of the Portuguese aristocracy. They came here to enjoy the nature and clean sea air, to think about the meaning of life and to calm their nerves.

Top-10 Tourist Attractions in Sintra

National Palace of Pena

 4.4/5

82819 reviews

In the 16th century, the palace was the site of a monastery built in honour of the birth of the heir to King Manuel I. But the monastery was destroyed in an earthquake in 1755. Only the chapel and the altar survived. In 1840 on the site of the ruins began to build a palace, which was later used as a royal residence. The architectural complex is surrounded by a magnificent landscaped park with exotic vegetation.

Open time

Monday: 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Thursday: 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Friday: 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Saturday: 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Sunday: 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM

Sintra National Palace

 4.5/5

47267 reviews

The palace complex was built under the ruler Joan I in the 14th century and rebuilt in a pseudo-Moorish manner under Manuel I. The walls are decorated with unique Seville tiles from the 16th century. The walls of the building are decorated with unique Seville tiles of the XV-XVI centuries. The interior decoration of the palace is quite modest, of particular interest are the carved wooden ceilings made in the Arabian style. The complex was declared a national monument in the early 20th century.

Open time

Quinta da Regaleira

 4.8/5

52438 reviews

A park complex with a neo-Gothic palace, one of the most visited sights in Portugal. It was formerly owned by Monteiro, a member of the Masonic lodge and millionaire. According to his idea, the palace architecture and park design had to meet his philosophical ideas about life. As a result, a project was realised that mixed styles, unusual fantasies and the whims of an eccentric Freemason.

Open time

Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Initiation Well

 4.7/5

15107 reviews

In the park of the Quinta da Regaleira complex, there is an amazing place that is extremely popular with tourists. It is a wide well, a stone “underground tower” with a staircase and arches, built according to the ideas of the Masonic doctrine of the structure of the universe. “The Well of Initiation” is an allegorical staircase connecting heaven and earth, at the bottom a man is in darkness, and at the top he learns the light and goodness of spiritual knowledge.

Open time

Monday: 10:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Castelo dos Mouros

 4.6/5

21001 reviews

The castle stands on top of the Serra da Sintra and is surrounded by a picturesque landscaped park. It was built in the 8th century, when the entire Iberian Peninsula was under the rule of the Arab conquerors. In the 12th century, the fortification was taken over by the Portuguese. Until the expulsion of the Moors, the castle performed defensive functions. After the earthquake of 1755, the castle lay in ruins for a long time, and was rebuilt in the 19th century, but it lost its historical appearance.

Open time

Monday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM

Park and Palace of Monserrate

 4.7/5

11327 reviews

The history of the building goes back several centuries, the last major restoration took place in the mid-19th century at the request of the English industrialist and millionaire F. Cook. The palace is a bizarre and harmonious intertwining of several architectural styles, with Indian and Moorish influences noticeable in the interior and exterior. In the middle of the 20th century, the complex was taken over by the state and became accessible to visitors.

Open time

Capuchos Convent

 4.4/5

1717 reviews

The abbey is located in the Sintra-Cascais National Park. It was founded in the 16th century and existed until the 19th century (before the dissolution of the monastic orders). Nowadays, the monastery has fallen into disrepair and is gradually deteriorating – the walls are overgrown with ivy and moss, and only the facades remain of the buildings. The monastery complex is located in a rather secluded and remote place, which can be reached only by car or on foot.

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Chalet of the Countess of Edla

 4.5/5

2807 reviews

The mansion was built at the request of King Fernando II’s second wife, Elisa Hensler, Countess of Edla. She is remembered by the Portuguese as an artist, actress, singer, architect and botanist. Her cosy chalet hides among the lush vegetation of the Pena Palace Park. In 1999, there was a big fire that destroyed the back of the chalet. In 2011, after a partial restoration, the place became accessible to visitors again.

Open time

Sintra Atlântico

 4.1/5

28 reviews

The tram runs along a 13 kilometre line from Sintra to Praia das Masanche. It makes eight stops along the way. The line was laid in 1904 and eleven historic tram cars run regularly on it. The tram is mainly used as a tourist attraction. During its more than 100 years of existence, the line has been closed several times due to lack of funding for modernisation.

Open time

Cabo da Roca

 4.7/5

52829 reviews

The extreme point of the Eurasian continent, 18 kilometres from Sintra. The Cape is located within the Sintra-Cascais Natural National Park. The place is a cliff rising 140 metres above the ocean, it has always been surrounded by legends and a romantic halo. The cape has a lighthouse and a small souvenir shop where, for a few euros, travellers will receive a certificate of visit to the westernmost point of Europe.

Open time

Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours