Things to do in Sintra

Attractions, tours and experiences in Sintra, Portugal, ordered by how much they are worth your time — and flagged where you should book ahead.

• Palácio Nacional da Pena — landmark. Romantic hilltop palace in yellow and red, ringed by an exotic 200-hectare park.
• Quinta da Regaleira — cultural. A neo-Manueline estate of grottoes, chapels and the spiralling Initiation Well.
• Castelo dos Mouros — historical. Ninth-century Moorish walls along the ridge, with the best standing view of the valley.
• Palácio Nacional de Sintra — museum. The town-centre royal palace under two vast conical kitchen chimneys. Gardens are free.
• Cabo da Roca — nature. Mainland Europe's westernmost point: cliffs, a lighthouse and a great deal of wind.
• Parque e Palácio de Monserrate — park. A Moorish-revival palace inside a botanical park of ferns, palms and Mexican cacti.
• Casa Piriquita — food. A family bakery since 1862 and the home of the travesseiro, on the old town's baker's lane.
• Praia das Maçãs — beach. A broad golden beach at a river mouth, and the coastal end of the historic Sintra tram line.

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