The mild climate of Sintra, combined with the frequent presence of the royal court, made the Sintra Mountains the favorite place of the Portuguese aristocracy, especially in the Manueline era and right after in the kingdom of D. João III. Often surrounded by a mist, disguising the mountain peaks and turning them mysterious, was one of the favorite reasons for the big writers and romantic artists, searching for exotic and enigmatic corners with potential to inspire, multiply sensations, a place to love a nature that emanates from the huge and sublime threatening rocks.
Pena Palace is fascinating fairytale castle, located on one of the highest peaks of the Sintra Mountains. The palace is comprised of two wings: the old Manueline convent of the Order of Saint Jerome and the wing that was established in the 19th century by D. Fernando II. D. Fernando transformed an old convent into a palatial residence of romantic influences. He ordered to plant the park of Pena in the area surrounding the palace in the style of romantic gardens with serpentine roads and stone benches as waypoints, as well as trees and other plants from all over the world, taking advantage of the humid climate of the mountains of Sintra and creating from scratch an exotic park with over five hundred tree species.
Quinta da Regaleira is one of the most surprising locations of Sintra. Its gardens and enigmatic constructions, like the tunnel of initiation, embody a mystic symbolism and secret characteristics connected to the freemasons. The Castle of the Moors fortress from the 8th century is located on top of a hill surrounded by a unique landscape that extends to the Atlantic Ocean. This military fortress is witness of the Islamic presence in the region. Then, visit Cape da Roca, the westernmost point of Europe. Boca do Inferno (Hell Mouth) is a type of cave that combines its natural beauty with the impressiveness of the rebellious sea and the location of magnificent sunsets.
