✈️ Come Away with Me #2 - Jumping for Joy in Sintra, Portugal

Hi Steemit friends!

Welcome back!

For anyone traveling to Lisbon, I highly recommend making a stop in Sintra. The town is where the royals would vacation and is a castle filled dream. It is located about 30 minutes by car or 40 minutes by train from Praça do Rossio. We traveled there by Uber which cost about €25-30 when we were there. Our Uber driver was delightful. He helped us set our itinerary and gave us some background on what we were about to see.

Our driver’s recommendation was to start our day at Quinta de Regaleira. Based on photos alone, this was a must see for me. The palace itself is small especially compared to the others in this city, but it makes up for that in spades with the fantastical grounds that are the key to this UNESCO heritage site.

Beyond the palace there is a winding maze of paths and hidden tunnels. The most interesting spot on the grounds is the Initiation Well, photographed below. There are several tunnels that connect to this well. We had quite a bit of fun wandering about and ending up on different levels of the spiral. Even beyond the Initiation Well there’s so many hidden corners and spots around Quinta de Regaleira to get lost in.

The last shot is from inside of the palace on the grounds. As you can see the beauty is in the details.

From Quinta de Regaleira, I recommend heading into town via a short 10 minute walk. Depending on what time it is, you can either first head over to the Sintra National Palace or grab lunch in town first. For us, it was lunchtime and we chose to go to Romaria de Baco for some delicious tapas. We got the alheira sausage croquettes with sesame seeds, vinagreta sauce mussels, and batatas fritas. It was all delicious!

Take some time walking around the cute town center filled with shops and restaurants. Make sure to include a stop at the bakery Piriquita, which came recommended by our Uber driver (he was the best!). Grab some travesseiros, queijadas and more! Seriously, my mouth waters just thinking about these treats!

Once you’re done stuffing your face with delicious treats, head over to the Sintra National Palace. The palace is filled with beautiful tile work and artwork befitting of a royal palace.

Next head over to Peña Palace. There are buses or you can take an Uber up the winding roads. This palace is known for being an influence on the Disney Castle and it’s easy to see why. The palace is very colorful in red, yellow, and blue. It feels like it’s filled with magic. It sits at the peak of the rolling hills of Sintra and has some of the most stunning views around. I was told that on a clear day you can even see Lisbon from the castle.

It was getting late for us at this point so we headed back into Lisbon. If you have extra time, there is also the nearby Moors Castle and the Monserrate Palace further out.

Hope you enjoy this review and get a chance to visit the lovely Sintra!

Love,
Jess