Sintra has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with evidence of human activity dating back to  the early Paleolithic.  It is home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Pena Palace and the Sintra National Palace. The area is also home to several medieval castles, such as the Castelo dos Mouros. The city is a popular day trip destination for visitors to Lisbon, but it is also worth spending more time in the area to explore all that it has to offer. Sintra is a great place to explore on foot, with its many winding streets, historic buildings and stunning views.

The historical centre of Sintra is not that big and usually has a lot tourists, but definitely worth a visit. The old centre consists of a number of streets that you can walk up, Sintra is built against a mountain.

The heart of the historic centre is Palácio Nacional de Sintra, a former Moorish palace that is visible from many places in the city. From there you walk via Praça Republica towards Rua das Padeiras where you will find many (tourist) shops with Portuguese products. The first building was constructed in around the 10th or 11th century when Sintra was under Moorish rule. At the end of the Middle Ages, the Palace of Sintra was at the heart of a large territory under the care of the Queens of Portugal while also one of the preferred destinations for Portuguese monarchs. 

Designed and built in the late 1800s, it reflects the sensibility and cultural, philosophical and scientific interests of the principal owner, António Augusto de Carvalho Monteiro, together with the virtuosity of the Italian architect and scenographer Luigi Manini. It consists of a palace, chapel, gardens, and two towers, as well as a mysterious initiation well. The palace was designed in a mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and Manueline styles, and is filled with intricate carvings and sculptures. The grounds of the estate are filled with beautiful gardens and fountains, and the initiation well is said to be an ancient symbol of initiation into the Masonic Order. The estate is now open to the public, and it is a popular tourist destination in Sintra.

Even though Seteais Palace today is a luxury hotel visitors have free access to its wonderful grounds where also cultural events are often held. This neo-classical Palace was built in 1787 for the Dutch Consul on land that occupies a prime position on the edge of the Serra de Sintra overlooking the countryside and town. Its current form dates back to a period of enlargement work carried out in the first years of the 19th Century after it was acquired by Dom Diogo José Vito de Meneses Noronha Coutinho, the illustrious fifth Marquis of Marialva and Royal Chamberlain. The Marquis had the east wing constructed and in-between the two buildings he commissioned a large triumphal arch to commemorate the visit of Prince Regent João VI and Princess Carlota Joaquina in 1802.

The Palace of Monserrate was designed for Sir Francis Cook by the distinguished British architect James Knowles Junior. Again, it is an example of mid-19th century eclecticism, adapted to the remains of the earlier building, also ruined in the 1755 earthquake. lt combines neo-Gothicism with substantial elements derived from the architecture of lndia.  Inside, visitors can explore the palace’s ornately decorated rooms, which are filled with artwork, antiques and furniture. Monserrate is renowned for its gardens, largely the work of Thomas Gargill: careful analysis of the microclimatic zones of the land made it possible to plant over 3000 exotic species, collected from all parts of the world.

The Moorish Castle, high on a peak of the Serra, might be of Visigothic origin; it was certainly used in the 9th century, during the Moorish occupation. lt was finally abandoned with the successful Reconquista of Portugal from the Moors. Now in ruins, the remains of its barbican, keep and walls vividly illustrate the problems of constructing a fortress on a rocky outcrop of this kind.

The Pena Palace, high on a peak in the Serra, is a work of pure Romanticism, designed by the Portuguese architect Possidónio da Silva. Ferdinand II conversion of the medieval monastery, which was abandoned after the 1755 earthquake reduced it to ruins, is eclectic in its use of Egyptian, Moorish, Gothic and Renaissance elements to produce an ensemble that is a pure expression of the Romantic Movement. Within the 19th century Palace are the church, cloister, and refectory of the 16th century monastery, richly decorated with azulejos. It's surrounded by lush gardens, which feature several ponds and fountains. The palace is open to the public, and visitors can explore the grand interiors and admire the stunning views from the terraces.



The Principe Real neighborhood of Lisbon dates back to the 19th century, when the area was first developed as a residential neighborhood. It was named after King D. Pedro V, who was born in the neighborhood in 1837. The area quickly became a fashionable place for the wealthy, and many luxurious homes, parks and gardens were built. In the 1950s and 1960s, the area saw a decline in popularity and many of the buildings began to fall into disrepair. In the 1990s, the area was revitalized and is now home to many trendy boutiques, cafes and restaurants. Today, the Principe Real is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.

The Botanical Garden of Lisbon is a scientific garden that was designed in the mid-19th century as a modern and useful complement to the teaching and research of botany at the Escola Politécnica.

The Garden dates from 1878 and is particularly rich in tropical species originating from New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan and South America, which attests to the peculiarities of the different microclimates created in this Garden by the topographic location in which it is inserted.

Liberdade Avenue is one of the most iconic streets in Lisbon, and it has a long and fascinating history. The avenue was first built in the 19th century as part of a larger plan to modernize the city. In the early 1900s, the street was lined with grand and elegant buildings, and it quickly became one of the most fashionable areas in the city. Its first name was Passeio Público (Public street) which was a bit ironic considering there were gates on both ends of the avenue to keep the commoners out of the private street of Lisbon's rich. It was the location of many important events in the country’s history. Today, the Avenida da Liberdade is still one of the city’s most vibrant areas, and it is home to luxury shops, hotels, restaurants and more.

The Parque Eduardo VII was built in the early 20th century to commemorate the visit of King Edward VII of England to Portugal.

The park is named for King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, who visited Portugal in 1903 to strengthen relations between the two countries and reaffirm the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance. Until Edward's visit the park was called Parque da Liberdade (Liberty Park).



The Estufa Fria is a tropical garden located in the heart of Lisbon. It was built in the early 1900s. The Estufa Fria is home to a variety of exotic plants, trees, and flowers, and is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. It is also a great place to learn about Lisbon’s history, as it houses a variety of sculptures and monuments from the city’s past.

Opened in 1998, during the last world exhibition to take place in the 20th century, entitled “The oceans, a heritage for the future”, the Oceanário de Lisboa has eternalised the centuries-old bond between Lisbon and the ocean.

The Oceanário de Lisboa is a large public aquarium whose prestige is widely recognised, not only in Lisbon and Portugal, but also across the world. Visited by approximately 1 million people every year, the Oceanário is the most popular cultural attraction in Portugal.

The Pavilion of Knowledge - Centro Ciência Viva is a science museum located on the right bank of the Tagus River in Lisbon. It is an interactive museum of science and technology that aims to make both science and technology more accessible to the general public, stimulating the exploration of the physical world and experimentation. With its interactive exhibits full of state-of-the-art technology the Pavilion of Knowledge - Ciência Viva will keep visitors busy, with many hand-on experiments to be explored. The building is recognizable from afar, due to its modern architecture.

Cascais goes very far back, all the way to the times of the Romans, who built here a centre for processing fish. Cascais's history as a popular seaside resort originated in the 1870s, when King Luís I of Portugal and the Portuguese royal family made the seaside town their residence every September, thus also attracting members of the Portuguese nobility, who established a summer community there. The village is known for the many members of royalty who have lived there, including King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, when he was the Duke of Windsor, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, and King Umberto II of Italy.

The Casa das Histórias Paula Rego (‘’House of Stories Paula Rego’’) is a museum in Cascais, designed by the architect Eduardo Souto de Moura to house some of the works of the artist Paula Rego.

The collection consists of paintings, drawings and etchings produced by the artist on a variety of media and using a wide range of techniques. It covers a period of roughly 50 years in her career. Exhibits are shown in the permanent exhibition on a rotational basis, following different themes. 

The Citadel of Cascais is a set of fortifications built between the 15th and 17th centuries to defend the Cascais coastline and River Tagus estuary and to protect against attacks on the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. The citadel incorporates three separate developments, the tower of Santo António de Cascais, the Fortress of Our Lady of Light (Nossa Senhora da Luz de Cascais), and the former Royal Palace area.

The Museum Condes de Castro Guimarães, the former "Torre de S. Sebastião", was built in 1900 by Jorge O'Neill. A classic example of "summer architecture", the building features ecletic elements, inviting visitors to enter a kingdom of fantasy and wonder celebrated in this XIXth century revival of the era of romance. The museum collection includes significant national and international paintings, furniture, porcelain and jewellery.

The Casa de Santa Maria (House of Saint Mary) was once a luxurious private residence. It was acquired by the Cascais Municipality in October 2004 and is now a museum. It blends several different architectural styles and influences.

In the late 19th century, Jorge O'Neil, an aristocrat with many business connections, purchased some land near the Santa Marta area of Cascais. He first had built what is now the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum and, a little later, commissioned the Casa de Santa Maria as a wedding present for his daughter.

The easily recognisable Santa Marta lighthouse stands on what was once the southern tip of Cascais (the marina now extends beyond the point). Built in 1868 on the site of a 17th century fort the lighthouse only came into operation after the site was stripped of its military status.

Santa Marta's distinctive blue and white striped tower stands at 8 metres (25ft) tall and still stands guard over the mouth of the Tagus. Until 1981 it was manned continuously by lighthouse keepers, however these days the light is automated.

Boca do Inferno (Hell's Mouth) is a chasm located in the seaside cliffs close to Cascais. The seawater has access to the deep bottom of the chasm and vigorously strikes its rocky walls, making it a popular tourist attraction.

It was originally a sea cave, which subsequently collapsed leaving a chasm and sea arch. Into this opening the Atlantic waves continually crash, and during violent winter storms water explodes upwards similar to an erupting volcano – hence the overdramatic name.

Surrounded by dunes and Mediterranean vegetation, this 1km-long beach is located between Cascais and Sintra, in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. It’s best reached from Cascais, about 6km (close to 4 miles) away. It’s known for being windy and for its powerful waves, which have made it part of international surfing and windsurfing circuits and championships.

Cabo da Roca is a cape which forms the westernmost point of the Sintra Mountain Range, of mainland Portugal, of continental Europe, and of the Eurasian landmass.

Cabo da Roca was known to the Romans as Promontorium Magnum and during the Age of Sail as the Rock of Lisbon.

Estoril today is the result of an extremely valuable historical path. The large and luxurious mansions, its privileged location by the beach, and the short thirty minute trip to Lisbon. It once was a fishing village with a small farm but then became a stylish and sophisticated resort town, infamous for the 20th century exiled kings and spying during WWII.

Estoril is popularly recognized for the Casino Estoril, widely regarded as Europe's largest casino which inspired James Bond's Casino Royale.