Don’t be fooled by its modest size. For centuries Sintra was the favoured summer retreat and hunting ground of Portuguese nobles, and their legacy is a veritable jewel box of palaces, castles and candy-coloured mansions. The Unesco-listed cultural landscape of domes and turrets seems to be straight out of a fairytale — no wonder it has fired the imaginations of literary luminaries from Hans Christian Andersen to Byron. Deserving of far more than a day trip from Lisbon, 20 miles away, Sintra is even more magical at the day’s end. Once the coach parties have departed, the few who linger have the run of all those lofty viewpoints and quaint pestico bars.
What to do
● What do you get when a Brazilian coffee tycoon commissions an Italian opera-set designer to let his creativity run riot? Quinta da Regaleira, an early 20th-century palace set in wonderfully trippy parkland, full of all manner of follies, subterranean tunnels, grottoes, spires and mythological statuary playing peekaboo among palm trees and ferns. Go first thing and hot-foot it to the initiation well to beat the queue that inevitably forms around the dramatically spiralling stairwell (£10; regaleira.pt).
● The neoclassical building that now houses MU.SA, Sintra’s art museum, used to be a casino. This is the place to get acquainted with Portugal’s most celebrated modern artists, such as Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro (1857-1929) and Antonio Carneiro (1872-1930) — don’t miss the photography gallery while you’re there (free, Tue-Sun; cm-sintra.pt).
● From the 10th-century Moorish Castle, jaw-dropping views stretch all the way to the Atlantic coast. You can get there on a rickshaw from the Largo Rainha Dona Amelia (town square) or Quinta da Regaleira, but the most rewarding way to reach the ramparts, if you have the stamina, is to hike up the steep, pine-scented forest trail (£7; parquesdesintra.pt).
● Parts of the National Palace of Sintra are almost as old as the castle. Generations of monarchs added to the sprawling site, which occupies pride of place in the town square, leaving behind a lavish patchwork of courtyards, chambers and chapels. Apart from the gilded four-posters and intricate tiling, a surprise highlight is the kitchen, where medieval masterchefs magicked up banquets beneath a pair of soaring conical chimneys (£8; parquesdesintra.pt).
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● In a town with a glut of stately homes, Monserrate Palace is often overlooked, perhaps because of its petite scale or out-of-the-way location (£4 on the 435 bus from the railway station; scotturb.com). For those in the know, however, the intriguing mash-up of Moorish and neogothic architecture, and the serene botanic gardens, make a rewarding visit (£7; parquesdesintra.pt).
The coolest neighbourhood
Pulling in at Sintra’s railway or bus station you’ll be tempted to make a beeline for the old town, but it’s worth lingering in the Estefania area, especially if you’re a foodie. Pick up a picnic of artisanal cheeses, blood sausage and local vinho from the Estefania Municipal Market (Tue-Sun; mercados.sintra.pt); sample more contemporary fare at Taberna Criativa (mains from £14; tabernacriativa.eatbu.com) or feast on sushi at Kodachi Sintra (dishes from £4; emporiosabores.pt). Then head to the Centro Cultural Olga Cadaval, in a restored art deco theatre (with a connecting passage to MU.SA), for a genre-hopping performing arts programme (ccolgacadaval.pt).
Where to eat and drink
Casa Piriquita
There’s more to Portuguese pastry craft than pasteis de nata, as this traditional bakery that dates from 1862 proves. Treat yourself to a signature queijada, a type of cheesecake, or the sugar-dusted puff pastry “cushions” called travesseiros, which are filled with almond cream (pastries from £1; piriquita.pt).
Incomum by Luis Santos
Incomum is one of Sintra’s smartest dinner spots, with a Mediterranean menu that ranges from carpaccio and truffle-laced risotto to Iberian pork filet mignon and lobster bisque — and a signature olive oil pudding to finish. Handily, there’s a wine bar next door for an aperitif or post-dinner glass of port (mains from £13; incomumbyluissantos.pt).
Tascantiga
This is a great spot at which to graze on pesticos — Portuguese tapas such as azeitao cheese or fried cuttlefish with aioli — whether outside on the terrace or in the shabby-chic dining room. Soups, sandwiches and a legendary pumpkin “petit gateaux” dessert complete the casual, crowd-pleasing menu (tapas from £3; tascantiga.pt).
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Tulhas
With its wrought-iron chandeliers, patterned tiles and wood-beamed ceilings, Tulhas certainly looks the part of an old-school Portuguese eatery. The menu doesn’t disappoint either, listing classic regional dishes such as the must-try bacalhau com natas — salt cod baked in a creamy béchamel sauce (mains from £10; fb.com/tulhas.sintra).
Villa Craft Beer & Bread
Beer may not be the first tipple you associate with Portugal, but this pint-sized watering hole is part of a flourishing microbrewery scene. Homemade bread from the wood-fired oven, served with various fillings, is the perfect companion to a tasting flight of lagers, ciders or stouts (drinks from £3; instagram.com/villacraft_beerbread).
Romaria de Baco
A cosy restaurant that knows not to mess with tradition: as well as octopus and hearty rice dishes, it’s big on bacalhau (try it with roasted potatoes or a bras — in scrambled eggs). You’ll find it down a side street near the National Palace, but despite its proximity to a tourist attraction this is a local haunt. Take a leaf from the restaurant’s namesake — Bacchus, god of wine — and pair the hearty fare with a bottle of vinho verde (mains from £10; romariadebaco.pt).
Where to stay
Chalet Saudade: Vintage Guest House
Named after the Portuguese word for nostalgic longing, this sensitively restored boutique hotel has one eye on the past: the 11 guest rooms have original art nouveau light fittings, ornate fireplaces and exposed stone walls. Breakfast is served in the neighbouring Café Saudade (B&B doubles from £75; saudade.pt).
Sintra Bliss House
Offering contemporary, colourful digs 100m from the railway station (albeit down a steep hill), Bliss House has brought a breath of fresh air to Sintra’s hotel scene. There’s a choice of single, double or triple rooms and some have balconies overlooking the hotel’s garden, where breakfast is served in summertime (B&B doubles from £85; sintrablisshotel.com)
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Tivoli Palacio de Seteais
If Sintra’s regal sites have given you a taste for the high life, splash out with a stay in the former Dutch Consul’s palace. Inside it’s all fondant-hued frescoes, antique-filled suites and the tinkling melodies of a grand piano, while lemon groves, mazes and poolside cabanas beckon in the grounds. For an extra treat, take the Queen’s Tea — a gorgeous spread of patisseries and sparkling wine served alfresco (B&B doubles from £300; tivolihotels.com).
If you only do one thing
Pena Palace was King Ferdinand II’s tour de force of Romantic architecture. Sprawling across a forested hilltop, it is Sintra’s crowning glory. Visit at the end of the day to avoid the crowds (£12; parquesdesintra.pt).
Estella Shardlow was a guest of Visit Portugal (visitportugal.com) and Tivoli Palacio de Seteais (tivolihotels.com)
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