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Sintra

Portugal Travel Guide

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In the gardens of the Quinta Da Regaleira in Sintra Portugal, you will find the initiation well. This well was never used a source of water, instead, it was used for ceremonial purposes that included Tarot initiation rites.

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Overview

With its rippling mountains, dewy forests thick with ferns and lichen, exotic gardens and glittering palaces, Sintra is like a page torn from a fairy tale. Its Unesco World Heritage–listed centre, Sintra-Vila, is dotted with pastel-hued manors folded into luxuriant hills that roll down to the blue Atlantic.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Palace of Sintra (Palacio Nacional de Sintra) in Sintra in a beautiful summer day, Portugal; Shutterstock ID 570271885; Your name (First / Last): Tom Stainer; GL account no.: 65050 ; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Best in Travel 2018

    Palácio Nacional de Sintra

    Sintra

    The star of Sintra-Vila is this palace, with its iconic twin conical chimneys and lavish, whimsical interior, which is a mix of Moorish and Manueline…

  • Castelo Dos Mouros, Sintra, Portugal

    Castelo dos Mouros

    Sintra

    Soaring 412m above sea level, this mist-enshrouded ruined castle looms high above the surrounding forest. When the clouds peel away, the vistas over…

  • Regaleira Estate, Sintra

    Quinta da Regaleira

    Sintra

    This magical villa and gardens is a neo-Manueline extravaganza, dreamed up by Italian opera-set designer, Luigi Manini, under the orders of Brazilian…

  • Palácio Nacional da Pena

    Palácio Nacional da Pena

    Sintra

    Rising from a thickly wooded peak and often enshrouded in swirling mist, Palácio Nacional da Pena is a wacky confection of onion domes, Moorish keyhole…

  • Portugal, Sintra - Capuchos Convent - Fountain

    Convento dos Capuchos

    Sintra

    Hidden in the woods is this bewitchingly hobbit-hole-like convent, which was originally built in 1560 to house friars, who lived in incredibly cramped…

  • Parque da Pena

    Parque da Pena

    Sintra

    Nearly topped by King Ferdinand II's whimsical Palácio Nacional da Pena (only Cruz Alta, at 529m, is higher), these romantic gardens are filled with…

  • Palácio & Parque de Monserrate

    Palácio & Parque de Monserrate

    Sintra

    At the centre of a lush, 30-hectare park, a manicured lawn sweeps up to this whimsical, Moorish-Gothic-Indian palácio, the 19th-century romantic folly of…

  • Museu das Artes de Sintra

    Museu das Artes de Sintra

    Sintra

    This museum features a small and manageable collection of contemporary and modern art, around 80% of which is dedicated to local works. The permanent…

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