A long weekend for Lisbon and the surrounding gems of Sintra and Cascais

Travel Tips

• Sintra:
  • Sintra does at times really feel like something out of a fairy tale and, when you get off the train, you’ll notice an immediate different feel to Lisbon. For one – it’s a lot cooler as its up in the hills! Which is a nice change in the summer
  • The two highlights – there are plenty of places to go off and explore, but the two highlights for me were the Quinta de Regaleira with its inverted tower (Poco Iniciatico) and stunning grounds, and the Moor Castle which gives wonderful views of all around.  For Quinta de Regaleira make sure to get there early and head straight for the inverted tower to avoid the later queues – we got there right at the opening and had a few wonderful few minutes of it totally to ourselves – although watch out for the wet floor as it’s very easy to fall arse over tit! Also make sure to investigate a lot of the small entrances to the hidden caves – you’ll be surprised how far they go and what you’ll find
  • Try if you can to walk around the town early in the morning (730ish). I did and had it all to myself – couldn’t believe how few people were up
  • Where to stay – we stayed in the Chalet Saudade which felt like being in a fairy tale and I would highly recommend (especially if you can get the room on the 1st floor with the balcony)

• For Cascais:
  • It’s nice walking around the narrow lanes around around the centre and just between Ribeira and Rainha beaches
  • Be sure to have a drink or afternoon tea in the wonderfully located Hotel Albatroz. It has great views over the nearby main beaches and is in the heart of the beautiful narrow lanes that make Cascais so lovely
  • If Hotel Albatroz is full, or if you just fancy more drinking locations, the Villa Cascais has a great balcony overlooking the other main part of town and is a good spot for a sundowner
  • For a less traditional, but far cuter, beach – make sure you head to the beach that is in the inlet round the back of the Museu Condes de Castro Guimaraes. Easy to find when you get there, it has an almost picture perfect setting behind the bridge and the mini castle with plenty of people jumping off the bridge into the cool clear water
  • Great walk – there is a boardwalk that follows the coastline around 5kms to the east of town. Worth a wander as there are some nice restaurants along the way

• Lisbon:
  • Don’t take the tram – you’ll read most of the guidebooks talking about taking the Tram 28E for an authentic tour around the key sites and neighbourhoods of Lisbon.  Yes the route is great, but on a busy day the queues to get on it are long and you’re then crammed in for a not particularly fun experience.  Instead, just get one of the electric tuk tuks.  It’s a little more expensive (€40-50) for the hour, but you get to choose your route (they’ll take you to better viewing points and drop you off where is most convenient), you get a guide, no time waiting at tram stops and you can have a better view as you go round.  If in a group it’s a no brainier
  • Alfama, Graca and the Castle – the Baixa and Rossio areas have the grand buildings (make sure to check out the train station which I thought was beautiful), but the highlight is the white cobbled narrow streets around Alfama, Graca and the castle.  They really are super pretty
  • Be sure to make the walk up to the Castelo de Sao Jorge.  The grounds are really nice and the views I thought were the best in Lisbon

• The trains between Sintra, Cascais and Lisbon run regularly and take around only 30mins Lisbon to Cascais / Sintra and an hour between Sintra and Cascais
• For further tips on Portugal’s other top experiences, and for a 2 week itinerary, see the travel entry for 2 weeks for the best of Portugal