**Façade of the Palácio da Pena, in Sintra.**

Castles and Palaces Galore!

The whole of Sintra is a fairytale wonderland: a tiny enclave of castles and palaces nestled in the mountains and forests west of Lisbon. Most visitors to Lisbon make a day trip out of Sintra, but there is certainly enough to do here to fill several days, if you want to absorb a little bit more of the magic.

The best way to reach Sintra is by train from Rossio Central Station in Lisbon, but you can always rent a car if you want to explore some of the other interesting palaces and natural formations near the resort town. If you bring a car in the summer, it can be very difficult to find a place to park, so try to go as early as possible. This article is meant to be a supplement to my Lisbon post, for those of you hoping for a great side trip where the Portuguese nobility lounged many years ago. Here are some of my favorite places I visited while I was there!

Palácio da Pena (Pena Palace)

**The signature yellow and red colors of the Pena Palace make it pop!**

Probably the most famous of the palaces of Sintra, the Palácio da Pena sits at the very top of the city, overlooking beautiful forests and the Atlantic Ocean. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has plenty to offer visitors, with beautiful designs, pretty colors, and a fascinating combination of architectural styles. The palace was built in the period of Romanticism, which explains the exotic feel of the environment.

**You can really see the different architectural styles all mixed together in this one!**

The palace itself occupies a large swath of land, meaning you will have plenty to explore. It costs nothing to explore the outside of the palace, but for the interior you will need to buy tickets (definitely worth it.) It’s very easy to get lost among the elaborately designed rooms and terraces. The good kind of lost I think! There’s a bit of a walk uphill to to palace, but you will have plenty of interesting sculptures and pathways to explore along the way.

**Even though it was my second time visiting, I was super excited to come back!**

Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors)

**View of the Castle of the Moors from above.**

O Castelo dos Mouros, or the Castle of the Moors, is the oldest site in Sintra, dating back all the way to the 9th Century. Perched on the same hill as the Pena Palace, this monumental fortress was built by the Moors, a group of Arabic peoples from North Africa. It fell into ruin after the Christian conquest of Portugal, but was later restored at the beginning of the 20th century. Nowadays, you can walk along the ramparts of the castle, following the twisty topography of the rugged landscape, which blends right into the lush landscape . You’ll have some great views of both the city of Sintra as well as the ocean.

**View of the Castle of the Moors from the city of Sintra.**

Quinta da Regaleira

I affectionately call Quinta da Regaleira the “nature palace” of Sintra. Constructed for the Baroness of Regaleira (a member of the Portuguese monarchy), this villa and estate is full of ornate statues and hidden symbols of the Masonry and Knights Templar. The house itself is designed in the Portuguese High Gothic (Manueline) style; in other words, the visual details are off the charts.

**Mary and I loved every part of visiting this great palace!**

Equally as impressive as the interior of this sumptuous palace, the gardens of the Quinta da Regaleira feature underground walkways, forested alleys with classical statues, and a beautiful subterranean tower (it looks like a big well) with a compass painted at the bottom. Nature was definitely the most important element in designing this palace.

**The famous well of Quinta da Regaleira. It’s a mossy, subterranean cavern that spirals down to a hidden grotto.**

Palácio da Monserrate

**The Monserrate Palace, with an eclectic fusion of Asian, North African, and European influences.**

The Monserrate Palace is not in the city center of Sintra (about 3.5km away,) and for this reason it is often overlooked by many tourists. What a mistake! The Monserrate is such a beautiful mansion, and in my opinion the most interesting of the six big spots to visit in Sintra. The interior is pretty devoid of furniture, but the rooms are fascinating, exhibiting a mixture of Gothic, Arabic, and Indian influences. It reminded me a little bit of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain.

**One of the Arabic tile designs in the Monserrate Palace.**

Palácio Nacional da Sintra

The National Palace of Sintra is probably the least interesting of all the palaces in Sintra. It’s no fault of its own, given that Sintra is full of some truly spectacular palaces to visit. This palace is the easiest to visit, being right in the center of the resort city, but it doesn’t have the pop or splendor of some of the other ones. I would say this one is worth a visit because the interior is really impressive. Check out the interesting furniture, wall decorations, and azulejos (famous tile paintings from Portugal.)

**One of the rooms inside the National Palace of Sintra.**

Palácio de Queluz (Queluz Palace)

**One of the courtyards of the Palácio de Queluz.**

About halfway between Sintra and Lisbon, the Queluz Palace was my favorite of all. Again, it’s pretty difficult to visit without a car, but if you have one, definitely make the stop! Built for Queen D. Maria I in 1747, the sky-blue Queluz Palace is the most opulent and majestical of all the palaces in Sintra. After a walk through the elegant state rooms and gardens, you might think you’ve been transported to France… This is the only palace in Portugal with influence from the Rococo period, as seen in Versailles.

**The Rococo art style dominates the Queluz Palace.**

**The Ambassadors Room of the Queluz Palace, with an interesting ceiling mural of the Portuguese Royal Family.**

That’s it for the famous palaces of Sintra! Be sure to subscribe in the top right corner of the page if you want updates on new articles.

Sintra, Portugal