Making most of 24 hours in Sintra – Essential planning

24 hours in Sintra is not nearly enough to do justice to this gem. A small town in the Sintra Hills near Lisbon, Sintra used to be a retreat for royals, high society and religious congregations alike. The result is a wealth of Romanticist-style palaces and mansions dotted around the hills, all of which are recognised as UNESCO heritage.

Nevertheless, 24 hours in Sintra will allow you to take in all the highlights at a relaxed pace. However, good planning is essential as Sintra gets incredibly busy and transport options are limited. I visited Sintra on the back of a city trip to Lisbon. This was ideal as both cities are well connected by regular, cheap trains leaving from Lisbon’s Oriente and Rossio stations. Moreover, I planned my visit in the shoulder season (just before Easter). Consequently the weather was not perfect (up to 20˚C in the afternoon and some rain), but there were not queues for the tourist busses taking people around and at some occasions we had places to ourselves.

ESSENTIAL PLANNING TIPS FOR SINTRA

As Sintra gets very busy and there is much more to see than time allows, it is essential to get organised. Here are some practical trips for preparing your trip and making most of it during 24 hours in Sintra:

• Leave the car at home: the roads of Sintra are not made for modern day traffic and car parks are limited. You might be able to park your car outside town, but you won’t find a place to park near any of the main sights. Public transport to Sintra and around the attractions is good and there are some nice hiking trails, so there is no reason to take a car;
• Stay the night: many visitors come to Sintra on a day trip from Lisbon. Whilst it is a worthwhile day out, you’ll only be able to see a fraction of the many points of interest. Moreover, you won’t be able to beat the crowds, as hordes of tourists all take the same morning trains from Lisbon and flock to the same sights. Staying the night gives you a lot more time and a chance to enjoy some quiet time;
• Bring your lunch: there are many shops and restaurants in the centre of Sintra, but once you head out to see the palaces and gardens, you won’t find anything to eat. There are a few cafés selling drinks as well as basic self-service eateries at Pena Palace and Montserrat. However, they are extremely busy and food will run out after the lunchtime rush;
• Investigate ticket options: you’ll need to buy entry tickets for Sintra’s palaces and gardens as well as tickets for public transport to get around. Buying individual tickets as you go gets pricy, but there is a choice of combi tickets that you can purchase ahead to save you time and money. You can check prices and options here. Remember that Quinta da Regaleira, one of the more famous palaces close to Sintra town, is managed by a separate agency and not included in combi tickets.

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN SINTRA & PALACIO NACIONAL

Our accommodation: B&B Casa da Estefanea

My Mum and I took the train to Sintra in the afternoon and headed straight to our B&B, Casa da Estefanea, just outside the city centre. Casa da Estefanea turned out to be a pleasant boutique B&B with friendly staff and a hearty breakfast. Since it is just outside the centre, it was a lot more affordable than most places and Sintra is a small town, meaning we could still walk everywhere very easily.

Since we only had 24 hours in Sintra, we did not linger. After dropping our luggage and having a chat with the lady at reception, we headed into town. Walking to the old town centre took us under half an hour. Sintra is a pretty town and it is well worth a closer look. Most people head straight to the famous palaces and don’t take the time to explore the town, which is a pity.

First attraction: Palacio Nacional

Right in the centre of town you will find the Palacio Nacional, an excellently preserved medieval style palace. You can recognise it from afar by the two white chimneys towering from the side of the palace (I learnt that they are the kitchen chimneys). This palace is also referred to as Palacio da Vila, because it sits right in the centre of town. We reached the Palacio Nacional about 90 minutes before closing time and most of the day trippers from Lisbon were exiting and heading back to the station. I was slightly worried that we had arrived too late to complete the visit, but it turned out to be perfect timing. Moreover, we had the Palace Nacional completely to ourselves (there were literally a handful of other people spread around the rooms).

We were the last people to leave the Palace (the stewards closed the gate behind us), but very pleased that we managed to take in this first attraction on our short afternoon. Mum and I were both super hungry. We decided to walk back to the new town and have dinner close to our accommodation. Following the advice of the lady at Casa Estefanea, we walked into Dinner at Taberna Criativa for a delicious meal. I realised afterwards that we had been extremely lucky to get a table on spec. Booking a table is advisable.  

DAY 2 MORNING: CASTELO DO MOUROS & PENA PALACE

Getting around Sintra on the bus

Most of Sintra’s attractions opened at 1000 when we visited in April, so we got up early for breakfast. It is best to check opening times for the exact dates of your visit, as they vary with the seasons. We called at a grocery store to stock up for lunch and then caught the first tourist bus from the station going around the main attractions. Bus 434 and 435 are the key bus numbers to remember:

• The former (Circuito da Pena) makes a loop around the Palacio Nacional, Palacio da Pena and Castelo dos Mouros. This loop is recommended if you only have one day to look around Sintra;
• The latter (Vila Express & Quatro Palacios) makes an extension to this circuit, stopping at Quinta da Regaleira, Seteais Palace and Monserrat Palace.

If you have multiple days in Sintra, you may want to hop on bus 403. This bus takes you all the way to the coastal town Cascais. You can check the timetables here. I’ve been told that in the high season you might be queuing for over an hour before you can board a bus, but we boarded the first bus and easily got a seat.

Castelo do Mouros

We got off at Castelo do Mouros, the second stop, with a handful of other people (most visitors were headed for the famous Pena Palace first). However, the dreary, misty morning which was very fitting for exploring the ruins of the Moorish Castle and we had to share them with merely a dozen other people.

Pena Palace

From the Moorish Castle, it’s an easy 15 minutes’ walk to Pena Palace, so there is no need to wait for the bus. Upon arrival at the gate, we concluded that the crowds had arrived. The queue at the ticket counters was the proof that buying the combi ticket upfront had been a smart move. The mist had developed into a drizzle, so we decided to visit the interior of the palace first. Despite all our efforts to avoid the crowds, we still found a packed palace. Pena Palace is a fine Romanticist castle that is worth battling the crowd, but I dread to think what it must be like in summer.

By the time we got to the gardens, the rain had thankfully lifted and the crowds dispersed. This made the prospect of lunch outside and a walk in the vast parkland very attractive. If we had the time, we could easily have spent the rest of the afternoon exploring all corners of the parkland.

DAY 2 AFTERNOON: MONTSERRAT & BACK TO LISBON

Later in the afternoon, the sun really came out and the temperature rose. This was perfect, as we had planned to visit Montserrat, a Romanticist palace-like mansion with extensive parkland. This was my personal favourite amongst the places to visit in Sintra! To get to Montserrat, you have to take the bus as it is located 3.5km from the centre and there is no off-road hiking trail. We caught bus 343 from Pena Palace to the old town. It had gotten busier, but still we didn’t have to queue and could board imminently. In the old town we changed to line 435 for Montserrat.

When we completed our visit of Montserrat, the Sintra attractions were about to close. Therefore, we decided to travel back to Lisbon. We were hoping to once again beat the crowds by taking the train just a little be earlier than the day trippers (we were successful). The plan was to stay two nights in Lisbon to explore those parts of the city that we had not yet seen on previous visits.

EXTENDING YOUR STAY IN SINTRA?

If you have more than 24 hours to spend in Sintra, you won’t have problems filling it. First, there are good walking paths allowing you to avoid the bus and walk between all the attractions. Furthermore, there are several other points of interest that you can work into the programme:

• Quinta da Regaleira: this grand, ornate residence is located at just 15 minutes walking from the Old Town. We passed it on the way to Monserrat. However, the combi ticket for the Sintra attractions does not include Quinta da Regaleira, so we preferred to get most out of our ticket and skip it;
• Convento dos Capuchos: unless you have a full day to spend on this, you will need to take a taxi a least one way to the deserted convent of the Order of the Friars Minor Capuchin. The convent is about 8 kilometres away from the old town and there is no public transport;
• Palacio Nacional de Queluz: the Rococo style Queluz Palace is not located in Sintra, but halfway between Sintra and Lisbon. It is served frequently by the same train. In most combi tickets for the Sintra attractions, Queluz is included. We visited the palace the next day from Lisbon;
• Cascais: this coastal village and more specifically its lighthouse is deemed the Westernmost point of Europe. The easiest way to get there from Sintra is to take bus 403. You can also visit on a separate day trip directly from Lisbon, which is actually more straightforward.

You might come across another palace, Palacio de Seteais, when looking at the map of Sintra. This palace is not open for visitors, but it does offer hotel accommodation. If you have the budget, you can lodge here and stay right amidst all the top attractions. A great way to optimise 24 hours in Sintra and add some luxury to your trip!