Said to be one of the most urbanized and densely populated municipalities in Portugal, Sintra certainly lives up to its reputation. Walking through the streets of Sintra felt like navigating Disneyland on a Saturday at 12pm in July. People seemed to spill from the walls, pop up from the sidewalks, and fall from the sky. While the city is undeniably beautiful, due to this, it can be very overwhelming. Home to one of Portugal’s most popular tourist destinations, the Palace of Pena, it’s no surprise that Sintra attracts so many visitors. Beyond the palace, the town boasts several other historic palaces, castles, parks, and gardens. While it’s well worth a visit, be very prepared to battle the crowds.
With a permanent population of around just 26,000, Sintra sees over 3 million visitors annually. Read that sentence one more time. On our way to the Palace of Pena, we had to take a major detour, initially driving away from the palace before circling back, all because the direct route to enter the grounds was completely blocked by standstill traffic. Our guide mentioned that this is actually quite common, and they have figured out an alternate route to bypass most of the traffic. The palace was just as crowded and overwhelming as the city center – you can read more about our experience here – The National Palace of Pena: The Jewel of Sintra.
Located about 35 minutes outside Lisbon’s city center, Sintra is one of the wealthiest municipalities in Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula. It’s home to many of the country’s millionaires, as well as second (or third) homes for celebrities and politicians. House prices in Sintra range from €995,000 to €7,400,000 ($1,151,165 to $8,561,430 USD), compared with the national average of around €370,000 ($428,071 USD). Unsurprisingly, it consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Portugal… if you can afford it.
With a history dating back to pre-Roman and Neolithic times, Sintra underwent significant development during the Moorish period (8th–12th centuries), when fortifications and Sintra Castle were constructed. Following the Christian reconquest in the 12th century, the town became part of the Kingdom of Portugal. It later evolved into a royal retreat and cultural center. Today, due to its rich historical heritage, the entire town of Sintra is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In addition to visiting the Palace of Pena, we explored the gardens of the National Palace of Sintra, an impressive structure famous for its two pointed conical chimneys. While the palace gardens are relatively small compared to the building itself, they are beautifully maintained. Built in the 10th century during the Moorish period, the site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right. It is the best-preserved medieval royal residence in Portugal.
You can also visit the Castle of the Moors, a 9th-century Moorish fortress perched atop the hills of Sintra. It also has a UNESCO World Heritage designation. We unfortunately didn’t have time to visit, as our guide said it would take too long, and we had other stops in Lisbon 👎🏼. However, if you have a full day in Sintra, it’s close enough to the Palace of Pena to tour both. In fact, we could see the castle clearly from several windows and viewpoints within the palace.
If you haven’t had enough castles and palaces yet, you can also visit Quinta da Regaleira, a sprawling estate filled with symbolic architecture, green gardens, hidden tunnels, and the famous Initiation Well. Unsurprisingly, it too is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Another option is the Palace of Monserrate, built in 1858 and previously used as the Portuguese court’s summer residence. For a quieter, more modest experience, you can explore Capuchos Convent, a small medieval convent now open to the public.
Due to time constraints, we unfortunately didn’t get to visit any of these sites. We only had time to explore the gardens of the National Palace of Pena and take a short stroll through the Historic Centre of Sintra. Along the way, we visited some local shops, enjoyed lunch at a local eatery, and treated ourselves to a delicious pastel de nata at a nearby bakery.
Alas, even just walking through the Historic Centre was overwhelming, with people and traffic nonstop. It felt like a game of human dodgeball, both inside the shops and on the sidewalks. Many of Sintra’s streets are very narrow, often one-way, and were not designed to handle the present-day volume of traffic, or the larger vehicles, such as tour buses. Therefore, just driving through the town was a hair-raising experience, and we applaud our van driver for his navigation skills! 👏🏼
Overall, while I can never regret the opportunity to visit such a historic place as Sintra, Portugal, I do wish a few things had been different. First, I obviously wish we had more time. It felt extremely rushed, and I would have happily spent more time in Sintra than at some of the other places we visited afterward. This is a destination that requires at minimum one full day, but ideally two. Second, I wish the crowds were smaller. It was incredibly overwhelming, both at the Palace of Pena and in the historic city center. Even the traffic coming off the main highway toward Sintra was shocking. We visited at the end of May, so perhaps visiting during the off-peak season would be less crowded – it’s definitely something to consider if you plan to visit in the future.
