Sintra Mountains
Sintra Mountains
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
29 reviews
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11
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3
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Hawaiian Canuck
Vancouver, Canada2,078 contributions
Jun 2023 • Friends
I think Sintra is a victim of its own success. Sintra and the surrounding mountains and villages are stunning but are always chock a block full of tourists and buses. Great for the economy but it makes it hard to see anything. I think the best thing is to stay in one of the local hotels for a few days so that you can get a jump on the hordes that visit the area daily. That way you can see more and experience the local flavour.
Written January 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thomas V
Oakland, CA19,155 contributions
Nov 2024 • Friends
The town of Sintra is located in these mountains and all around you get tremendous views of the forest and the villages tumbling down the hillsides. Off in the distance is the Atlantic Ocean and down below the sprawl of the city of Lisbon. There are a lot of recreational opportunities in the mountains for those who are not shy about climbing steep slopes.
Written November 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mairwen1
United Kingdom12,144 contributions
Mar 2020
The star attraction at Sintra is the colourful Pena Palace but Sintra is also surrounded by beautiful mountains and extensive forests. The Serra de Sintra mountains start in the centre of the old town and extend to the ocean at Cabo da Roca, the western-most point of mainland Europe.
Even if, like us, you only have a day-trip to Sintra, there are still hiking trails between the palaces and castle that allow you to see something of the mountains.
After visiting Pena Palace, we followed the bushland trail to the Moors Castle and then continued the mountain trail around the outer castle walls, following the path right down through the forest to the old town centre. It was almost entirely downhill so was very easy.
We joined the track from the carpark opposite the lower Pena Park gate (the Lakes entrance).
The path here was just a simple bushland track and there was a little bit of scrambling involved. We weren’t always 100% certain that we were still on the right path but we followed the general direction of the castle and emerged at the right spot (the outer walls of the castle beside the road, a kiosk and a toilet block). From here the route became much clearer, there were occasional signs and the path was mostly paved or cobbled. There are some great panoramic views as you descend and you will also pass the 12th century Gothic church of Santa Maria.
The walk took us under an hour but we walked at a leisurely pace, stopping to look at the views.
TIPS
* The Tourist Information Centre map was somewhat helpful as a general guide. If you don't already have a better map, then I’d recommend picking this up before you go because neither the Palace Gift shop nor the ticket office had any maps.
* Look out for wooden signs and trail markers that are red and yellow lines painted on a walls, rocks or tree.
* there was plenty of shade and you didn't need special hiking shoes, just comfortable walking shoes or trainers but do take a bottle of water with you.
Even if, like us, you only have a day-trip to Sintra, there are still hiking trails between the palaces and castle that allow you to see something of the mountains.
After visiting Pena Palace, we followed the bushland trail to the Moors Castle and then continued the mountain trail around the outer castle walls, following the path right down through the forest to the old town centre. It was almost entirely downhill so was very easy.
We joined the track from the carpark opposite the lower Pena Park gate (the Lakes entrance).
The path here was just a simple bushland track and there was a little bit of scrambling involved. We weren’t always 100% certain that we were still on the right path but we followed the general direction of the castle and emerged at the right spot (the outer walls of the castle beside the road, a kiosk and a toilet block). From here the route became much clearer, there were occasional signs and the path was mostly paved or cobbled. There are some great panoramic views as you descend and you will also pass the 12th century Gothic church of Santa Maria.
The walk took us under an hour but we walked at a leisurely pace, stopping to look at the views.
TIPS
* The Tourist Information Centre map was somewhat helpful as a general guide. If you don't already have a better map, then I’d recommend picking this up before you go because neither the Palace Gift shop nor the ticket office had any maps.
* Look out for wooden signs and trail markers that are red and yellow lines painted on a walls, rocks or tree.
* there was plenty of shade and you didn't need special hiking shoes, just comfortable walking shoes or trainers but do take a bottle of water with you.
Written February 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Catherine T
Les Pavillons Sous Bois, France205 contributions
Feb 2019 • Couples
A very pleasant drive to visit the area. It wasn’t too easy (not impossible) to find somewhere to park the car to better appreciate the view.
Written February 5, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
traveladdictions
Belgium238 contributions
Dec 2018 • Couples
this must have been such a rich region. so many beautiful palaces, castles, gardens, villa’s, too many to see them all in a week. so take your time, or come back a couple of times.
Written December 24, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda B
Raleigh, NC2,194 contributions
Apr 2018 • Friends
We drove up from the coast into the mountains and the drive was lovely. Its highest point is near the town of Sintra with all its lovely sights to visit. It covers about 10 miles from Cabo da Roca to Sintra. It was the legendary retreat of Diana the Huntress. Rich in fauna from foxes to scaly reptiles and unique vegetation with about 900 indigenous plant species. If you have the time...take the drive!
Written May 15, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
filebay
Richmond Hill390 contributions
Sep 2017
We literally could not find a place to park in Sintra to see the palace there. So we decided to keep driving and drove around the mountains towards the ocean. What a fantastic drive. Narrow roads with stone walls and trees. You keep saying to yourself ‘is this road really meant for two cars?’ Great thing to do just be careful
Written October 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hjörtur Á
Kopavogur, Iceland13 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
Great scenary and nature in the mountains. We visited the Castle and walked the narrow streets of the town. Had some coffee and a cake. We had a really nice day. Our guide (Margarita from Portugal) took us down the history lane with Kings and queens, very interesting history and connecting everything together.
Written May 1, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheShis
Tel Aviv, Israel44,564 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
The mountains surrounding Sintra are absolutely beautiful.
The roads themselves, however, are a different story.
If you don't use public transport (as we did), make sure to drive extra carefully in the narrow crooked roads, and be ready for "surprises" just around the corner (our bus almost drove a sedan off the road - twice).
The roads themselves, however, are a different story.
If you don't use public transport (as we did), make sure to drive extra carefully in the narrow crooked roads, and be ready for "surprises" just around the corner (our bus almost drove a sedan off the road - twice).
Written June 30, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brad
Hong Kong, China181,235 contributions
Mar 2023
This is a small range that covers roughly 16 kms between the town of Sintra and the Atlantic Ocean. The mountains have long been sought after for their lush environs and climate and are the location of various historic palaces and gardens recognised as World Heritage attractions by UNESCO. The highest peak in this range is Cruz Alta viewpoint (529m) which you can access within the Pena Park grounds.
A handful of these palaces have become major sightseeing attractions that draw many visitors to the town of Sintra for overnight stays and daytrips from Lisbon. These include National Palace of Pena, Monserrate and the Quinta da Regaleira as well as the ancient Moors Castle ruins which dates back to the 8th to 12th century.
There are numerous hiking trails around the Sintra Mountains that link up various palaces to the town of Sintra. These including point-to-point and loop trails that can be learned about and reviewed on apps such as AllTrails. WalkSintra.com is another source which further includes treks further into the mountain range as well as scenic Atlantic coastline. Check in with Biking sites online and you can learn about popular cycling routes around the Sintra mountain range as well.
A handful of these palaces have become major sightseeing attractions that draw many visitors to the town of Sintra for overnight stays and daytrips from Lisbon. These include National Palace of Pena, Monserrate and the Quinta da Regaleira as well as the ancient Moors Castle ruins which dates back to the 8th to 12th century.
There are numerous hiking trails around the Sintra Mountains that link up various palaces to the town of Sintra. These including point-to-point and loop trails that can be learned about and reviewed on apps such as AllTrails. WalkSintra.com is another source which further includes treks further into the mountain range as well as scenic Atlantic coastline. Check in with Biking sites online and you can learn about popular cycling routes around the Sintra mountain range as well.
Written April 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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