Located just 14 miles outside of Lisbon, the town and municipality of Sintra has a long history of being home to royalty and poets, but how will it attract you?

 

The 18th century poet Lord Byron once said of Sintra, “Lo! Cintra’s glorious Eden intervenes in variegated maze of mount and glen”. Sintra, “glorious Eden”, sits on the Portuguese Riviera. Along with Sintra, the Portuguese Riviera is made up of the coastal municipalities of Cascais and Oerias. It is known as the Costa do Sol – the sun coast. Given that from May to October, you are guaranteed temperatures in the twenties, it is clear to see where the location gets the name. However, for those of us that don’t like a climate that is still and hot, you’re in luck. Due to it’s the hills and its closeness to the Atlantic, Sintra benefits from a breeze, and temperatures are cooler than Lisbon.

 

Sintra is an area for creatives. It is for people who feel inspired when they are surrounded by extraordinary architecture, history, and culture. Of course, it is also for people who love nothing more than long days on the beach, eating brilliant cuisine, and indulging in some shopping. Sintra is naturally divided to suit these two moods. The old town is focused on history and architecture. The new town is where you’ll find modern shopping and business. Furthermore, if you would like to spend some of your time in Lisbon too, the train service to the city centre (Rossio) is regular and affordable.

Castle of the Moors

Castle of the Moors.

A place for walkers, photographers, nature admirers…

In 1995, Sintra was awarded the qualification of Cultural Landscape of World Heritage. Set in the mountains, Sintra boasts of unique natural beauty. But it isn’t just nature’s beauty that Sintra has to boast of. The architecture stretches across history. There is the Castle of the Moors, built in the 8th and 9th centuries, on top of the mountains. It offers you a panoramic view of Sintra.

For a taste of 19th century Romanticism architecture, there’s Pena Palace. It stands on the Sintra mountains, above the town, and can be seen from Lisbon on a clear day. Historically, it was used by Portuguese royalty; today, it is used by the Portuguese government for state occasions.

Sintra is the perfect place to keep fit. Whether that is through roaming its hilly terrain, walking along the coast, or cycling. Not only are there so many options for keeping fit, but the beauty of the scenery will motivate you to do as much walking and cycling as you possibly can.

Hiking is popular in Sintra. There are multiple different trails, of various levels of difficulty, for you to take on. Given how much there is to explore, you would have to move there to have the time to see it all.

Praia Da Adraga

Praia Da Adraga

Beaches

You can interject your active lifestyle with days on the beach. Again, Sintra offers beauty: Praia da Adraga is a special place. It is a blue flag beach dotted with dark, jagged rocks. Another beach, Praia da Ursa, is so hard to reach that it has come to attract nude sunbathers.

woman sitting Sintra

Could Sintra be your new home?

A home for royalty

During the Second World War, due to Portuguese neutrality, Sintra was frequented by European royalty. Today, properties there retain an elite and luxury feel. There are, however, some affordable homes. So, if living in a glorious Eden of magnificent nature and history sounds like you, do have a browse of our Sintra homes.

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