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Abroad, Portugal, Sintra

The fairytale world of Sintra

posted by Dario
Jul 2, 2019 2026 2 0
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The adventure of being a Portuguese #Sintra

Sintra is definitely one of those cities that should be visited at least once in a lifetime. The city is like a living tale and is known for its beautiful landscape. Castles, spacious and aristocratic gardens, small historic streets and all this, located on several hills, as large part of them, are protected by UNESCO.

Синтра

For me Sintra is an interesting city worth visiting. It is a 40-minute train ride from Lisbon and provides the opportunity for a one-day excursion beyond the Portuguese capital. As a big plus for the city, I can say that in the Sintra region a separate microclimate has been formed that maintains the average temperature lower than the other places in Portugal, that is why it’s the perfect escape from the summer heat. The only negative features of the site are that it is slightly overrated and expensive (as the main sightseeing tickets total more than 50 euros). The city is always full of people, which may be normal, given that Sintra is the capital of Romanticism, as many define it.

But how does this city gain its popularity and its status of an obligatory visit?

This publication aims to introduce you to the main sights of the city, as well as the opportunity to visit Cabo de Roca (the westernmost point of continental Europe).

Table of Contents

  • Quinta da Regaleira
  • Castelo dos Mouros
  • Palácio Nacional da Pena
  • Cabo da Roca

Quinta da Regaleira

The Palace of Quinta da Regaleira is an unparalleled architectural masterpiece that has one of the most beautiful and mystical gardens in the world. Built in 1904 by the Portuguese millionaire Carvalho Monteiro and designed by the Italian architect Luigi Manini, it became one of the most visited tourist attractions in Portugal.

Дворецът Кинта да Регалейра

Дворецът Кинта да Регалейра

The whole project is built and depicted in various ways combining Gothic, Romantic, Renaissance and Masonic styles. The place itself has an interesting and mysterious atmosphere, which is accompanied by even more interesting installations and symbols such as a large lake, towers, a chapel, caves, tunnels, etc. But the most famous landmark which you are surely familiar with at least from the Internet, but perhaps you did not know is here, is the well of dedication.

Дворецът Кинта да Регалейра декорация
Дворецът Кинта да Регалейра градина
Дворецът Кинта да Регалейра съоръжения
Дворецът Кинта да Регалейра градина
Дворецът Кинта да Регалейра градина
Дворецът Кинта да Регалейра градина

They are two, one is considerably smaller than the other, the bigger one is the more famous. You can go down the stairs to the lower part, where underground cave tunnels begin to take you to different places of the garden. It is interesting to note that the well itself has the shape of a reversed tower and has nine platforms believed to directly depict the nine circles of hell. At the very bottom of the well there is a compass on the Cross of Knights Templar, pointing to the east, which is once again believed to have unusual meaning, namely its direction means “seeking the eternal light“.

Дворецът Кинта да Регалейра кладенец
Дворецът Кинта да Регалейра кладенец

Дворецът Кинта да Регалейра кладенец

Дворецът Кинта да Регалейра кладенец
Дворецът Кинта да Регалейра пещера

Useful information:
For me this touristic attraction was the most attractive because what you see here can be seen in very few places around the world.

Work time:
October – March: 9:30 – 18:00
April – September: 9:30 – 20:00

Ticket prices:
Adult 18-64: 10 euros;
Adult tickets over 65: 5 euros;
Tickets for children 6-17: 5 euros.

Castelo dos Mouros

The Mauritanian castle is the archaeological and historical wealth of Sintra. Founded in the 9th century by the Moors (North African Muslims) with the strategic goal of observing everything around. As its location is on one of the highest hills, the fortress walls have wide and beautiful panoramic views of Sintra and the adjoining suburbs, including in good weather you can see the Atlantic ocean shores.

Мавританският замък

The castle has passed through the hands of several rulers as the next, who captured the place were the Vikings or also known as the Crusaders in the 12th century, and eventually fell into the hands of the first Portuguese king, Anfonas I the Conqueror.

Мавританският замък
Мавританският замък панорама

Мавританският замък

Over the years, the castle has been abandoned because it has not played such an important role for the Portuguese as for the Moors. Over time, the state of the historical site has been getting worse, all of which hastened with the fire that has struck it, and the great earthquake that swept all over Portugal in 1755.

Мавританският замък

Мавританският замък бинокъл
Мавританският замък

All this changed during the reign of King Ferdinand II, who built the Pena Palace in the immediate vicinity of Mauritania Castle. As a lover of art, he found beauty in the abandoned castle and decided to restore it, which return it back to life. In the twentieth century, final restorations were made as part of the celebration of the founding of Portugal. Archaeological excavations continue until today and archaeologists have discovered a Christian cemetery and many artefacts on the site that are displayed in the castle.

Useful information:
The castle can be reached by car, following signs, bus number 434 or on foot. I recommend that you walk down to experience the atmosphere of the city in its full brightness;
Wear comfortable sneakers because we are talking about a hilly place;

Work time:
April – October: 9:00 – 20:00
November – March: 10:00 – 18:00

Entrance fee:
In the period April – October:
Adult tickets: 8 euros
Tickets for students and pensioners: 6.50 euros
In the period November – March:
Adult tickets: 6.50 euros

Tickets for students and pensioners: 5 euros
When purchasing the ticket online you have a discount of 5%;

Palácio Nacional da Pena

Pena Palace, the jewel of Portuguese tourism. Undoubtedly this is the most visited place in the country and for a reason! The palace has no equivalent anywhere in the world. Located at 500 meters above sea level, it is easily visible from different points.

Дворецът Пена копие

The history of the place dates back to the 12th century, when a chapel was built here in the name of Our Lady. Over time, the chapel grew into a monastery that seized people through meditation. In the 18th century, the Monastery of Pena was severely destroyed by lightning, but the greatest damages were caused by the powerful earthquake in 1755.

Дворецът Пена

The current castle was built in the 19th century upon the request of King Ferdinand II. Its architecture is a mixture of Gothic, Manuelin, and Moorish style that is impressive with its bright colors and interesting shapes. Hans Christian Andersen calls it “the most beautiful place in Portugal“.

Дворецът Пена
Дворецът Пена

Дворецът Пена

Walking around the palace you will notice a very rich collection of different symbols on the walls and towers. They mostly depict the relationship between the ocean and the earth, and an example of this is the “terrifying” triton sitting in the clam, placed at the gate when entering the real part of the palace.

Дворецът Пена
Дворецът Пена
Дворецът Пена декорация
Дворецът Пена декорация

Once you enter the palace, you teleport into another era – the King’s one. The interior has been crammed to the last detail, showing an educational way how people in this class of society lived. You will have the opportunity to go through most of the palace’s rooms and observe the exquisite elegance of all forms – utensils, statues, textiles, etc. But the real thrill for me was to see through the windows of the palace the amazing view that opens to the woods in the vicinity and the ocean at the bottom of the landscape.

Дворецът Пена отвътре

Дворецът Пена отвътре
Дворецът Пена отвътре
Дворецът Пена отвътре
Дворецът Пена отвътре

The palace was unusual for its time and gives a clear idea of ​​the notions of life in that era, for which, no matter how much we are talking about, it is not so far from us, but there is still a big difference with today’s understanding. The palace has a large park which you need to pay for. (since I did not have the physical time to visit it, I visited only the real part – the palace).

Дворецът Пена отвътре
Дворецът Пена отвътре
Дворецът Пена отвътре
Дворецът Пена отвътре

Useful information:
You can get to Pena Palace on 434 or as I did – walking through the historic paths that are favorable;

Work time:
Pena Palace:
April – October: 9:45 – 19:00
November – March: 10:00 – 18:00

The Park:
April – October: 9:30 – 20:00
November – March: 10:00 – 18:00

Ticket price:
Ticket only for the palace:
Adult: 14 euros
For young people under 18: 12.50 euros
For adults over 65: 12.50 euros
Family (4 people): 49 euros

Ticket only for the park:
Adults: 7.50 euros
For young people under 18: 6.50 euros
For adults over 65 years: 6.50 euros
Family (4 people): 26 euros

The visit to the place will take around 3-4 hours;

Cabo da Roca

How do you feel about going to where the world ends? Exciting, isn’t it? And also I reacted so when I heard about Cape Da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe! A stone nose in translation. The place is indescribably beautiful, and about the emotions – I have no words to describe them. I stood and figured out how to get there at sunset in order to be one of the last in Europe who said good-bye to the sun.

Кабо Да Рока залез

Cabo Da Roca is a height of 140 meters above sea level, on which a site with obelisk is placed with the geographical coordinates of the nose. Here is also the largest lighthouse in Portugal, built in 1722 with a height of 22 meters.

Кабо Да Рока обелиск

Кабо Да Рока фар

From here, except that you can watch the endless Atlantic Ocean, you can see the massive slopes with small beaches between them. The views are indispensable, and the thrill is unique, the place just needs to be visited in order to be felt for real!

Кабо Да Рока плаж
Кабо Да Рока

Кабо Да Рока

Useful information:
Cabo da Roca can be reached by bus 403 from Cascais or Sintra railway stations;
The road takes about 40 minutes one direction and the ticket price is between 4-5 euros one way;
There is a souvenir shop where you can buy a certificate for the achievement that you have reached the end of the world. It is stamped with a red wax seal and printed in baroque letter paper, its price is 11 euros;
I strongly recommend you to visite this place because it is the most western point in Europe and because it leaves amazing emotions and memories;

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Travel Blogger

Dario Dionisi



If you want to know something more about me – my soul is a traveler, my origin is Italian and my true essence is a faithful friend. I am always open to new ideas and will be very happy if you want to contact me at dario@beyondsofia.com

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Dario • Exploring beyond Sofia
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To many, Costa Rica’s charm lies in its lush rainforests, unspoiled beaches and abundance of wildlife. With breathtaking landscapes and a myriad of creatures – from toucans to monkeys to jaguars – it’s easy to see why. 

Where else can you hike active volcanoes, zip line through cloud-covered rainforests and surf warm turquoise waters within the span of just a few days? In this compact but diverse tropical paradise, exhilarating outdoor activities are abundant. 

Nature-seekers will roam thick jungles while beachgoers will sprawl across the powdery sands. It’s hard not to admire all the splendors this “Rich Coast” has to offer.

#CostaRica #PuraVida #LatinAmerica
Heading to the next stage of life ~ Since soon I Heading to the next stage of life ~

Since soon I will celebrate my 30th birthday, I’ve been reflecting back to the person I was when I entered my twenties, and while I still feel young at heart, I’ve evolved into a completely different person.

I must confess, I have mixed feelings about turning 30. While I cherish the memories and experiences I have gathered during this time, I have also however, had my share of setbacks. The most important aspect that has inspired me are the experiences that I have gathered during my travels. Meeting new people, understanding their culture and trying new cuisines have changed my perspective towards life in general. While I am still a child somewhere in my heart, turning 30 is a big deal because it is assumed that I am an adult now.

Here are my 30 most precious travel experiences before turning 30:

1. Exploring my home country.
2. Travelling solo.
3. Supporting small local businesses and entrepreneurs.
4. Learning a foreign language.
5. Saving money for traveling.
6. Making friends while traveling.
7. Cooking traditional dishes.
8. Trying traditional food everywhere I go.
9. Overcoming my fear.
10. Trying something new.
11. Travelling with family.
12. Travelling with friends.
13. Travelling for myself and not social media.
14. Going out my comfort zone -  uncomfortable makes life more comfortable.
15. Living in a foreign country.
16. Packing like a pro.
17. Visiting my (some of) dream destinations.
18. Falling in love in a foreign country.
19. Blending in with different cultures.
20. Taking a piece of every place with me.
21. Learning to say no (in different languages).
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23. Documenting my trips.
24. Valuing experiences.
25. Making memories.
26. Rediscovering my favourite places.
27. Planning elaborate itineraries
28. Keeping it positive and never regretting to have climbed that mountain.
29. Some people around the world are born disadvantaged, not biologically, but socially.
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Your positive friendly reminder… Travel is, at Your positive friendly reminder…

Travel is, at its very essence, a tool – nothing more… nothing less. Broken down to its very essence, it becomes an instrument to fulfil our desires, attain new experiences and to discover a difference that is at least a step away from our local surroundings.

One thing that we can often forget is that travel also has the added benefit of helping us build a pretty solid amount of confidence too, something that we all stand to benefit from in the long-term, in our own personal development.

Follow this 5 simple steps and enjoy the best ways to develop your confidence, which can be learned whilst travelling:

✅ Be positive
✅ Embrace strengths
✅ Acknowledge weakness
✅ Listen to your head and heart
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#travelling #positivethoughts #confidence
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Choosing this life is more than a temporary escape. It will completely and entirely transform who you are.

So are you prepared for a journey of beauty, adventure and heartbreak? Read the next few rows.

✔️ Traveling is saying yes to life.
✔️ Uncertainty is a traveler’s homeland.
✔️ Traveling is a life of extremes.
✔️ About the unknown driving force.
✔️ Discomfort as a teacher.
✔️ Traveling is falling in love deeply with the world.
✔️ Always a stranger, but at home in the world.
✔️ Experiencing exhilarating freedom.
✔️ Understanding different perspectives.
✔️ In the life of a traveler, nothing lasts.
✔️ Travel teaches you everything.

This is what the life of a traveler is like: Be courageous. Follow the calling of your heart. It will lead you to a million places you would have never expected. And you will grow big. You will grow beautiful. You will grow so full of life it will make your heart burst with happiness. Some of us simply belong to the road.

#lifeofatraveler #travelthoughts #travelinspiration
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Dear Portugal, I would never have pointed to a ma Dear Portugal,

I would never have pointed to a map and picked you. I wasn’t sure we would even like each other. I came with only a few belongings and even fewer expectations. But I had the desire to get to know you and see if I would stay. And like two people making an acquaintance at a dinner party, we searched for commonalities: exploring, an insatiable appetite for rice and seafood, a bond to the earth and the sea.

At first I fell for the little things. The promise of discovering new things every single day. That dazed feeling after a few glasses of fruity vinho verde. The melancholy while listening to Fado music. The rissois, natas and feijoada, the melt-in-your-mouth queijo fresco, delectable sardinha and unforgettable bacalhau. And surprisingly, even lamprey and percebe.

I loved the quiet irony of your lavish, impressive buildings next to your ancient, dilapidated houses. I even adored your temperamental weather, sunny in the morning and sometimes tempestuous in the afternoon.

And I loved your people. The grandmas dressed in black with their soft faces and culinary secrets. The fishermen with their old fashioned hats. The shopkeepers who actually mean it when they say “obrigada.”

And then I began to love you for your words, and the new feelings they gave name to.  For that elusive feeling of saudade –– untranslatable but described so accurately by the Portuguese writer Manuel de Melo: “a pleasure you suffer, an ailment you enjoy.” Or the chamego — the sense of intimacy, infatuation, and cuddling, all in one word.

Of course, there are things about you that I will probably never understand. You’re an old soul and I’m too juvenile. I’m impulsive whereas you are cautious and pensive. I have this incessant desire to be happy, but you have this habit of enjoying being triste.

But I’ve lived many lives in different parts of the world, I’ve been running around, not caring where I rest my head, not knowing where I’d end up. Perhaps I met you, Portugal, because something inside me had really been crying out for stillness, for a safe haven where I could finally become myself.

#Portugal #loveletter #Lisbon #porto
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