Sintra, Gardens and Palaces

A collage from our full day exploring Sintra. We visited the Royal Palace, the gardens of Regaleira, and the bright towers of Pena Palace. From there we hiked down to the Moorish Castle ruins, walking the stone walls with sweeping views over the hills.

We took the long footpath down through the forest to the village below, resting for a final drink at the Byron Bar. We ended the day with more than twenty‑two thousand steps, from the bottom of the village all the way to the top and back again. It was crowded everywhere, but the beauty of the palaces and gardens made every step worth it. By night it was a peaceful village again.

We finished the evening with a quiet dinner and a night cap by the fire at Lawrence’s Hotel, our favorite place in town, before catching an early train the next morning to Porto.Read more