São Martinho, Portugal Travel Journals & Blogs

Europe 2022 - 2023
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- Feb 14, 2023, 10:35 AM
- Altitude: 712 ft
- Portugal Lisbon District São Martinho Quinta da Regaleira 38.796667, -9.39666738°47’48” N 9°23’48” W
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Day 282
Sintra, Portugal
February 14, 2023 in Portugal
We're back at it! After returning back to the USA for the holidays and to wait out the winter, we've returned to Europe. We're starting off this leg back where we left off, in the Iberian Peninsula. We flew into Lisbon and traveled to our first stop in Sintra, about 40 minutes west. This time we also have Emily's father John with us for a few weeks.

Sintra is said by many both past and present to be the most beautiful place in Portugal. It's very easy to see why. Romantic elegance of the old town cobbled streets that meet and disappear into the natural beauty of the forrests,, national parks, and mountains. Sintra is a magical place that boasts grand palaces and castles within walking distance. We were fortunate enough to visit Quinta de Regaleira, Castelo dos Muros, and the palace of Monserrate. They were all outstanding with the later being perhaps our favorite due to its elaborate gardens with plants from across the globe. Just 30km from Lisbon Sintra swept us back in time and had such a storybook feel it was hard not to adore this town. Just beware of the hills and bring good walking shoes!

While Sintra has evidence of early human settlement from the Paleolithic era and has been occupied by the Romans, it's the Moorish occupation that feels most prominent. As already stated, we visited Castelo dos Muros which was built between the 8th and 9th centuries. While a fortress, it's primary function was that of a lookout point for the surrounding area and the bay leading to Lisbon. The Moors remained in this area until driven out by the first king of Portugal, Alfonzo V, drove them out in 1147.

Quinta da Regaleira was a private residence. The construction as it is seen today began in 1904. It is rumored to have connections to the Knights Templar and their initiation well.Read more
Traveler A nearby plaque read: Vaulted reservoir with a storage capacity of nearly 600 cubic metres of water. The granite blocks used in the construction show signs of having been reused from a different pre-existing structure. The stonemason marks and the ogival arch of the entrance door, indicate that the construction began in the 13th century. There being no record of the water ever drying up, legend has it a Moorish king is buried underneath.
2/16/23Reply
Traveler A nearby plaque read: STONE CUTTING: Marks of the extraction of blocks using wooden wedges. To split granite rocks into blocks natural fissures in the rock were used, or new incisions were made, into which wedges of dry wood were introduced under pressure. The wedges were then soaked in water which caused them to expand, and the pressure thus exerted caused the rock to be separated into blocks along the fracture lines. The technique of using wooden wedges was still common in the 19th and 20th centuries.
2/16/23Reply
Traveler amazing!
2/24/23Reply
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Traveler Euro trip
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- Mar 27, 2024, 1:00 PM
- 🌧 14 °C
- Altitude: 224 m
- Portugal Lisbon District São Martinho Quinta da Regaleira 38.796345, -9.39601138°47’47” N 9°23’46” W
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Day 6
Sintra
March 27 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 14 °C
We finally made it to Sintra today after a few days of thinking about it. I knew Sintra was going to be beautiful, and it still blew my expectations out of the water. To get there we had to take a bus to a train station then buy a pass for the train. The pass worked great at the first station, and then we got to Sintra. we tried scanning our pass to get through the gates and it denied both of us. Even a local couldn't figure it out. He then tried to run behind someone who scanned their card, but the gates slammed in his face and completely bodied him. I laughed so hard in his face, true comedy. We couldn't figure it out either, so we just jumped over a wall to get out lol. We had to hop on another bus, which took us up to Quinta Da Regaleria, where a mansion is built on the side of a mountain on 4 hectares of space. There's so much to see there's no way we didn't miss something even though we spent 5 hours there. We explored caves and tunnels as well as just walking through the garden. Pearse and I made a few "skits" we think are funny. It's so hard to only pick 2 videos for the posts, though. We're off to Porto tomorrow now, so I'd say it was the perfect way to spend the last day in Lisbon.Read more
Traveler I just saw this staircase in Instagram Reel!
3/27/24Reply
Traveler I’m so jealous omg. Looks beautiful!
3/27/24Reply
Traveler I love that so funny !
3/28/24Reply
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Traveler Euro Quest
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- Mar 27, 2024, 3:45 PM
- 🌬 14 °C
- Altitude: 240 m
- Portugal Lisbon District São Martinho Quinta da Regaleira 38.7954, -9.39590638°47’43” N 9°23’45” W
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Day 12
Day Twelve: Sintra
March 27 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 14 °C
Today, I managed to get a pretty good sleep. But these hostel beds get so hot I was sweating all morning. And to top it off, I woke up with a sore throat. A pretty bad one, too. It felt like knives when I swallowed. But that's OK. We power through. Decided to take public transportation to get to Sintra. It was quite the experience. It was so confusing to actually buy the ticket. Luckily, someone helped us buy it. When we finally got to Sintra, it was pouring rain and super windy. And too made it better our ticket wasn't working and we couldn't leave the train station. We walked around trying to get help and ended up having to jump a fence to get out. But when we finally made it, it was amazing walking into the garden, field, or whatever you would call it, and the rain really did make everything greener. This "castle" was on a hillside with a whole bunch of random ruins, buildings, and paths. We got to walk around in the forest around random walls and get a great view of the valley. There was even this well that went down into the ground. A lot of the descriptions they had around didn't make a lot of sense to me, but this well seemed to be made as an analogy for something. It was about the decent to hell and the light of heaven or something. But there were also some underground paths that were completely dark. You needed a flashlight to get around. It was so spooky and so fun to joke around with ethan in it. There was also the main mansion when the owners lived. It was extravagant and completely over the top, someone who really needed to flex his wealth. It was beautiful, though, for sure. Someplace I couldn't imagine living in. They had a separate pool room and a separate smoking/games room. There were some many different places nestled here that gave us a taste of different architectural styles and so much more. On the way back, we found yet another rooftop bar over looking an even crazier view! But we were both so tired. We crawled our way back home and went to bed early!Read more
Traveler I love this picture!
3/28/24Reply
Traveler Looks like such an amazing place. Glad you powered through hopefully you feel better!
3/28/24Reply
Traveler I hope your throat is better Pearse. Are you drinking enough water or fluid??
3/28/24Reply
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Traveler Spain and Portugal, 2024
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- Apr 30, 2024
- ☁️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 242 m
- Portugal Lisbon District São Martinho Quinta da Regaleira 38.795771, -9.38968238°47’45” N 9°23’23” W
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Day 14
Sintra, Portugal, Day 1
April 30 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Took a Uber to the bus station then a bus ride from Porto to Sintra. Nice ride with Wifi. Checked in to the Villa Aedan using an Uber - which had a tough time figuring out where it was. I had trouble locating the place on Google maps, too. After some unpacking we walked to the recommended Apeadeiro restaurant and had a nice mid-day meal. They even provided a glass of port and a pastry to each of us at the end of our meal. From there we walked to the Quinta de Regeleira, a private mansion with lots of novelties now owned by the City of Sintra as a tourist attraction. Fun place including the Well of Initiation, a 70' plus hole excavated in limestone with a circular stairway winding around an open center. Several quirky towers, lots of exotic flowers and trees with a chapel and a mansion right out of The Adams Family (the old TV show). Google maps gave us some trouble here and we ended up walking the wrong way for a while, adding a half mile or more to our walk to the entrance. Our entrance fee was seven euros - the cost for people over 65. Returned to our room at the Villa Aedan which requires three keys to get in. One for the front gate, one for the front door, and then one for the room. Walked into town again to explore and bought two clementines at a local store. Ate the last of the Queso Cabrales from Cangas de Onis.Read more
Traveler One of the towers at Quinta da Regeleira, a former private estate
5/2/24Reply
Traveler Another of the handsome towers
5/2/24Reply
Traveler Anna at the entrance to the Well of Initiation
5/2/24Reply
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Traveler Flitterwochen Portugal
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- Sep 10, 2024, 12:00 PM
- 🌬 20 °C
- Altitude: 218 m
- Portugal Lisbon District São Martinho Sintra National Palace 38.797699, -9.39097438°47’52” N 9°23’28” W
Day 19
Sintra
September 10 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 20 °C
Mit beginnenden Muskelkater in den Beinen brachen wir am kommenden Tag auf, um nach der Hauptstadt die eher ländliche Seite des Landes näher zu betrachten. Dafür fuhren wir zu einem am Rande der Stadt „Sintra“ gelegenen Parkplatz - die beste Entscheidung - von wo aus wir in die kleine malerische Stadt liefen, die eine volle Portion Charme versprühte. Nach einer kleinen Weile in einer sehr ruhigen und gepflegten Gartenanlage machten wir uns auf den Weg, die Natur zu erkunden. Es führte uns ein magischer und traumhafter Weg immer weiter hoch, in Richtung unseres nächsten Zieles.Read more
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Traveler PORTUGAL 2023
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- Mar 27, 2023, 7:18 AM
- ☁️ 10 °C
- Altitude: 202 m
- Portugal Lisbon District São Martinho Largo Rainha Dona Amélia 38.799005, -9.38714238°47’56” N 9°23’14” W
Day 3
Early morning train to Sintra
March 27, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
Unlike a trip with a tour company, we had a modest breakfast this morning. We had coffee with toast, a banana, and a cereal bar. Out the door by 6:50 and only one false start as I returned to get another camera. We even made an earlier train than we anticipated leaving the station at 7:11 instead of 7:30. It is still dark at that time of the morning.
The attraction here is Peña Palace and a Moorish Castle located on forested hillsides that overlook Sintra and the surrounding area. The palace was finished in 1810. That makes it almost new in the host of palaces we have visited.Read more
Traveler Don’t see many people. There are usually big crowds at this place.
3/28/23Reply
Traveler Very colorful
3/28/23Reply
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Europa, wir kommen
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- Mar 16, 2024, 1:14 PM
- ☁️ 19 °C
- Altitude: 196 m
- Portugal Lisbon District São Martinho Largo Rainha Dona Amélia 38.79846, -9.388138°47’54” N 9°23’17” W
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Day 272
Sintra
March 16 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Das Wetter meinte es heute wieder gut mit uns, das kurze Stimmungstief hat sich zum Glück verflüchtigt.
Mit den online Tickets für den "Palácio Nacional de Pena" auf dem Handy fuhren wir nach mit dem Auto nach Sintra. Ich hatte vorher gelesen, dass man nicht am Schloss direkt parken kann, auf Google Maps war auch in der Nähe kein Parkplatz eingetragen, darum haben wir irgendwo im Städtchen geparkt - wir können ja das letzte Stück laufen.
4,40€ für die Parkuhr, länger als 4 Stunden darf man hier nicht parken und noch ein Blick auf Google Maps - nur 2,2km bis zum Schloß, das schaffen wir doch locker! Irgendwie hatten wir nicht bedacht, dass das Schloss oben auf dem Berg steht und, dass wir einfach den Bus hätten nehmen können.
Erst über mehrere Treppen, später eine schmale Einbahnstraße entlang (auf der uns viele Autos, Tuk-Tuks und Busse entgegen kamen), sind wir irgendwann an einem Parkplatz angekommen. 😒Von dort mussten wir noch eine Treppe nach oben klettern und schon (!) waren wir am Eingang. Ausnahmsweise mussten wir uns nicht an einer Schlange anstellen und konnten direkt in den Park. Bis zum Schloß ging es nochmal 20 Minuten bergauf und schon standen wir staunend davor.
1840 wurde der Palast im Auftrag von Ferdinand II. als Sommerresidenz gebaut.
Architektonisch sehr interessant in verschiedenen Baustilen errichtet, gehört das Schloß seit 1995 zum Welterbe der Menschheit der UNESCO.
Mir fehlen ein wenig die Worte zum Beschreiben, so viele tolle Eindrücke ... (Ja Astrid, es gibt nach der Alhambra doch noch Sachen die wirklich beeindrucken. 😘)

Nach der Besichtigung mussten wir uns dann beeilen wieder zum Auto zu kommen (die 4 Stunden waren bald vorbei) und nur deswegen (!) haben wir uns den Luxus gegönnt mit dem Taxi ins Stadtzentrum zu fahren. Auch das ist sehr nett, wenn auch natürlich sehr auf Touristen ausgerichtet.

Als gute Rheinländer wissen wir, Traditionen müssen gelebt werden, darum haben wir auf dem Rückweg einen Abstecher in einen portugiesischen Baumarkt gemacht. Vielleicht nicht so klug an einem Samstag, trotz Parkhaus dauerte es eine Weile bis wir einen Parkplatz gefunden hatten. Zu unserer großen Freude gab es günstige Gaskartuschen und Jörg hat weißen Lack bekommen, damit Mathilda demnächst noch mehr strahlt.Read more
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Na dann… ich habe wohl ein neues Reiseziel!😘 [Astrid]
3/18/24ReplyTranslate
Oh wie toll. Da hätte ich aber ein bisschen Angst runterzufallen. 🙈 [Sandra]
5/1/24ReplyTranslate
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Traveler Weitwandern / Pilgern Portugal
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- Apr 28, 2024, 9:08 PM
- 🌙 12 °C
- Altitude: 183 m
- Portugal Lisbon District São Martinho Largo Rainha Dona Amélia 38.798706, -9.38856338°47’55” N 9°23’19” W
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Day 12–15
Sintra Palácio Nacional de Sintra
April 28 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 12 °C
War f. mich v. meinem Hostel in einigen Minuten zu Fuss zu erreichen. Auf dem Weg dorthin viele Strassenverkäufer und der Rest Bars. Ich suchte einen Mercado, aber nichts zu machen, gibt es scheinbar nicht. Der Palacio war einer der Königspaläste, dessen Bau im 15.Jh.begann, obwohl ein altes Gebäude aus der muslimischen Zeit genutzt wurde.
Es präsentiert Merkmale aller Baustile und wurde praktisch bis zum Ende der Monarchie 1910 von der portugiesischen Königsfamilie genutzt .
Charakteristisches Merkmal dieses Palastes sind die beiden hohen konischen Schornsteine mit einer Höhe von 33 Metern, die von der Küche aus genutzt wurden.Read more
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Traveler Wunderschön 👍,,,,, und das Wetter passt auch 🌞😊
4/29/24ReplyTranslate
Traveler Heute bis Do regnet es schon wieder🥴
4/30/24ReplyTranslate
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Traveler Weitwandern / Pilgern Portugal
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- Apr 29, 2024, 8:23 AM
- ☀️ 11 °C
- Altitude: 224 m
- Portugal Lisbon District São Martinho Largo Rainha Dona Amélia 38.796051, -9.39006138°47’46” N 9°23’24” W
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Day 13
Sintra 2
April 29 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
Heute ist nur Besichtigung angesagt. Aber auch hier muss man sich rechtzeitig um Buskarten, Eintrittskarten,...kümmern.
Ab 8 Uhr gibt es Frühstück und dann gleich Karten f.Bus 434 und 435 kaufen, damit kommt man zu allen Sehenswürdigkeiten.
Zuerst fahr ich gleich zum Palacio Nacional da Pena,
wie ein Märchenschloss am Berg gelegen, von König Ferdinand II auf den Ruinen einen Klosters errichtet , das der Nossa Senhora da Pena gewidmet war, nur bekomme ich die Karte f. Innenbesichtigung erst f.den Abend, das ist mir zu lang, aber man kann es gut draussen und in verschiedenen Etagen begehen und besichtigen und auch den Park.
Erst am frühen Nachmittag komme ich dann zur Quinta da Regaleira. Es zählt zum Weltkulturerbe der UNESCO und wurde nach Entwürfen des Besitzers António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro erbaut und 1910 fertiggestellt . Ein Traum, bin Stunden durch den Park gegangen und hab immer wieder etwas Neues entdeckt.Read more
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Traveler Wow super schöne Fotos Erika!!
4/30/24ReplyTranslate
Traveler Wunderschön,,, 👍🤗🍀
4/30/24ReplyTranslate
Traveler Fesch!
4/30/24Reply
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Traveler Camino de Santiago
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- May 5, 2024, 11:06 AM
- ☁️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 202 m
- Portugal Lisbon District São Martinho Largo Rainha Dona Amélia 38.799347, -9.386738°47’58” N 9°23’12” W
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Day 44
Brace yourself for Sintra
May 5 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Overnight camp time! I'm catching a 40 minute train to Sintra, a UNESCO listed town in a national park that was a little royal playground back in the day. WOOF. It's a popular day trip from Lisbon but I'm staying in a vintage guesthouse private room I quite generously booked myself many moons ago and forgot about. Pleasantly surprised was an understatement.

As I was being shown around the woman told me the house was originally owned by a painter that worked on the Pena Palace, then a dentist who worked and lived in the house with his family of six. My room used to be one of the administrative offices, and the woman used to come here as a girl for her dentist visits!Read more
Traveler Thought the photo before this was perfection but THIS 💯
5/7/24Reply
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