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Is Sintra Worth Visiting? Honest Opinion from a 3 Day Trip
While planning our 24-day Portugal trip with family, Sintra was surely on my bucket list.
Those colourful palaces hidden in the forest can make anyone dream of travelling to Sintra.
But the more I researched, the more confused I got.
Some travellers called it the gem of Portugal, while others claimed it was a tourist trap.
At the time, there were even local protests calling it a “traffic jam in paradise”.
So my husband and I genuinely wondered if Sintra is worth visiting or whether we should skip it and move on to the next town.
After spending 3 days in Sintra as part of our family Portugal itinerary, I can confidently say that it is absolutely worth visiting for all kinds of travellers.
Because there is much more to do in Sintra beyond Pena palace.
We found local desserts, historic streets, ghost stories, hiking trails and beautiful coastal scenery.
In this guide, I share the legit reasons why you must visit Sintra, my honest experience so that you don’t skip it or explore it in a wrong way.
10 reasons why Sintra is worth adding to your Portugal itinerary
1. Sintra has far more palaces and mansions than just Pena Palace
Before visiting Sintra, I assumed Pena Palace was the main reason people came here and that is the only beautiful place in the town
After spending three days in Sintra, I realised Pena Palace is only the beginning.
What impressed me most was how many palaces, mansions and estates are packed into such a small area.
Quinta da Regaleira feels mysterious, with gardens, tunnels and an Initiation Well that seemed to belong to another world.
Monserrate Palace became my personal favourite, with architecture that reminded me of places I had seen in Iran!
The National Palace of Sintra impressed me so much that I felt like sitting there and reading for hours in its library
Biester Palace and the Chalet of the Countess of Edla reveal completely different sides of Sintra.
That variety is what makes Sintra worth visiting.
Rather than travelling here for one famous landmark, you are visiting a town filled with royal palaces, Romantic-era mansions, hidden gardens and historic estates.
Even if one palace is not your style, there is a good chance another will be.
2. Sintra stays cooler than much of Portugal throughout the year
Portugal can get hot, especially during summer which is the peak tourist and expensive season.
Cities such as Lisbon, Évora and even parts of the Algarve often experience temperatures above 30°C. Sintra remains at least 5°C cooler than them!
Surrounded by forests and exposed to Atlantic breezes, Sintra has a microclimate that keeps it noticeably cooler than nearby Lisbon.
We visited in late November and immediately noticed the difference.
Throughout most of our Portugal trip, jackets stayed in our suitcase. In Sintra, we wore them almost every day.
Low clouds drifted across the hills, fog appeared without warning. Sintra rain creates a magic now & then throughout the year.
It is one of the reasons Portuguese royalty and wealthy families chose Sintra as their summer retreat for centuries.
Normally, gloomy weather would make sightseeing less enjoyable.
In Sintra, the mist around palaces and forests disappearing into the clouds made the town feel even more magical.
If you are visiting Portugal during the warmer months, the refreshing weather alone is a good reason to add Sintra to your itinerary.
3. Staying in a historic mansion without spending a fortune is easier in Sintra
One thing that makes Sintra different from many destinations in Portugal is the sheer number of historic mansions that still survive today.
While searching for accommodation, I kept coming across names such as Palácio, Quinta, Chalet and Mansão.
At first, I assumed most of them would be far beyond our budget. Instead, I found a room in a 200-year-old mansion for around €90 per night.
While visiting monuments around Sintra, I learned why the town has so many grand residences.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, Portuguese royalty escaped Lisbon’s summer heat by spending their summers in Sintra.
After King Ferdinand II transformed a monastery into the colourful Pena Palace, aristocrats, merchants and other wealthy families followed, building summer retreats across the hills.
Thanks to UNESCO protection, many of these mansions still survive today.
We stayed at Palacio de Sintra Boutique House, a beautifully restored mansion filled with antique furniture, wooden floors, stone walls and elegant artwork.
If you want a bit luxury there is the famous pastel green historic mansion Casa Holstein Quinta de Sao Sebastiao Sintra right at the Old town centre
As we explored the town, we kept coming across similar historic villas and mansions.
One that caught my eye was Villa Mira Longa while walking down from Villa Sassetti.
For me, waking up in a historic mansion surrounded by misty hills was one of the most memorable parts of visiting Sintra.
4. Sintra’s hiking trails are gorgeous and underrated
When people think about hiking in Portugal, places such as Madeira or the Algarve usually get all the attention.
Sintra rarely appears on lists of Portugal’s best hiking destinations despite having plenty of scenic trails.
What I liked most was that the hiking here did not feel separate from the sightseeing.
A walk can take you from a forest path to a centuries-old castle, a hidden garden or a dramatic viewpoint within minutes.
The town sits within the Serra de Sintra Natural Park, where forest trails connect palaces, castles, gardens and viewpoints, often opening up to views of rolling hills and the Atlantic Ocean.
My husband Ashrith took the steep trail up to the Moorish Castle.
According to him, the climb was one of the highlights of our time in Sintra.
The higher he went, the more the town, palaces and coastline revealed themselves below.
Meanwhile, I explored some of the easier trails around Pena Park and Monserrate Palace, which were much more manageable with a small child.
So even if architecture is not your main interest, Sintra is worth visiting for hiking alone.
5. Sintra’s beaches are some of the best I saw in Portugal
Before visiting, I never associated Sintra with beaches. In my mind, it was all palaces, forests and misty hills.
When I pointed out the Atlantic Ocean from our hotel window, my husband could hardly believe the coast was so close to a mountainous town like Sintra.
Our favourite spot was Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe.
The dramatic cliffs, endless ocean views and spectacular sunset made it one of our favourite places in the entire country.
We also loved Praia da Adraga, where towering cliffs, crashing waves and relatively few visitors created a much wilder atmosphere than many of Portugal’s more famous beaches.
Then there is Praia das Maçãs (Apple Beach), the final stop on Sintra’s historic tram line.
Visiting it felt like stepping into a completely different world.
Within half an hour, we had gone from misty hills and palaces to a relaxed seaside town on the Atlantic coast.
If you enjoy dramatic coastlines as much as historic towns, you’ll love this side of Sintra.
6. The historic tram ride from the mountains to the coast is unforgettable
While Lisbon’s famous yellow trams appear in almost every Portugal itinerary, few travellers know that Sintra has its own historic tram dating back to 1904.
What makes it special is not just its age but the journey itself.
The tram slowly winds its way from the hills of Sintra to Praia das Maçãs on the Atlantic coast, passing forests, tiny villages.
The ride was so slow that my 10-month-old son eventually fell asleep in my arms while I watched the scenery drift by outside the window.
We passed clusters of traditional Portuguese houses with terracotta roofs, whitewashed walls and colourful borders around the windows.
Some homes sat alone among small farms and gardens, while others formed tiny villages that looked unchanged for decades.
My husband enjoyed the experience differently. At several points, he was more interested in photographing the tram itself than riding it.
In late autumn when we went , the century-old tram rattling through forests streaked with shades of yellow, orange and brown felt especially beautiful.
Watching it emerge from the trees and disappear around bends was just as charming as being on board.
For me, that journey from misty mountains to the Atlantic coast was one of the most memorable parts of visiting Sintra.
7. Sintra still feels like a small town despite its popularity
If you have spent a lot of time in cities such as Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra or Cascais and miss a small-town atmosphere, you should visit Sintra.
Sounds strange for one of Portugal’s most famous destinations, doesn’t it
We thought so too. A sleepy small-town vibe was the last thing we expected here.
By our second day, the owner of a small café we had visited the previous morning and the staff at the mini market next to our hotel were already waving at us and asking how our day had been.
Whenever we asked locals for restaurant recommendations, they often seemed to know the owners personally.
It felt as though everyone knew everyone else.
One example was Fatto da Cláudio Coelho, an Italian restaurant we loved.
While chatting about it at a nearby souvenir shop, the shopkeeper immediately knew the place. “Oh, you liked Fatto? So do I. But the chef is away for three days, so it won’t be open tomorrow,” he told us.
I later realised part of the reason. Historic Sintra is tucked between forests, hills and protected heritage areas, so it feels separate from the modern town around it.
Portuguese people were friendly everywhere we travelled, but in Sintra we genuinely felt welcomed.
If you enjoy destinations that are still lived in rather than staged for tourists, that small-town atmosphere is another reason to visit Sintra.
8. Walking through Sintra feels different from anywhere else in Portugal
In most historic Portuguese towns, you walk from one attraction to another along fairly predictable streets.
Think cobbled lanes, Baroque churches, whitewashed houses with blue or yellow borders, and the occasional bougainvillea spilling over a wall.
In Nazaré, a smaller town like Sintra most walks lead through residential lanes or along the beach.
In Funchal, colourful streets, gardens and ocean views are never far away.
Sintra, however, was different.
My biggest surprise was discovering that Sintra felt less like a tourist destination and more like a forest that had slowly grown into a town.
Most walks happen under a canopy of trees.
Built into the slopes of the Serra de Sintra mountains, almost every walk involves going uphill, downhill or around a bend.
Forest paths, colourful mansions hidden behind stone walls, small chapels, quiet squares and family-run bakeries appear where you least expect them.
One moment the road seems to disappear into the woods, and the next it opens up to a view of a palace rising above the trees.
One of my favourite finds was the beautiful Moorish fountain along Volta do Duche.
Further along the same route, street vendors sold everything from filigree jewellery and embroidered scarves to handicrafts from Ecuador.
Roman-style sculptures and quirky art installations often became part of the walk as well.
That unusual mix of forests, architecture and everyday town life is what makes Sintra feel so different from anywhere else in Portugal.
9. Sintra’s ghost stories and legends add to its charm
While researching our trip, I stumbled upon Sintra’s ghost stories walking tour.
Before long, I was reading about ghostly hitchhikers & haunted palaces
The most famous story is about a young woman who supposedly asks drivers for a lift on the road between Colares and Vale dos Anjos.
According to local folklore, she quietly gets into the car, points to where she wants to go, and then disappears before the journey ends.
So while driving through rural Sintra on our way to Albufeira, we were secretly hoping for a mysterious lady to ask for a lift.
The stories followed us into the monuments too.
A member of staff at our hotel told us about the mysterious stone rain of Quinta da Penha Verde, where stones supposedly fell from the sky for hours.
Others claim Quinta da Regaleira’s famous Initiation Well was linked to secret Masonic and Templar rituals.
Walking down those spiral steps, we could not help wondering whether there was any truth behind the legends.
Monserrate Palace comes with stories of a crying woman, which made us listen a little more carefully as we wandered through its halls.
By the time we left Sintra after sunset, driving through misty forests, remote villages and winding roads, the town already felt like the setting of a ghost story.
Looking back, I wish I had taken that ghost stories walking tour.
10. Sintra’s local desserts are worth the trip alone
You would think Pastel de Nata is Sintra’s speciality. After all, the town is only about 30 km from Lisbon.
How much can Portuguese desserts really change within such a short distance?
Quite a lot, it turns out.
Sintra does not revolve around Pastel de Nata. Instead, it has its own local favourites: Travesseiros and Queijadas.
So if you have a sweet tooth and enjoy trying regional desserts while travelling, these two pastries are a good reason to spend a few days in Sintra.
We tried Queijadas at Queijadas da Sapa, a bakery that has been making them since 1756.
Made with fresh cheese, eggs, sugar and cinnamon, they were much lighter than I expected and became our favourite snack while walking around town.
My personal favourite, however, was Travesseiro.
These flaky pastries filled with almond and egg cream are sold all over Sintra, but Casa Piriquita is the most famous place to try them. Fresh from the bakery and still slightly warm, they were impossible to resist.
What I liked most is that these are not desserts created for tourists.
Locals buy them, bakeries have been making them for generations, and they remain an important part of Sintra’s identity.
I came to Sintra for the palaces and scenery, but I left wishing I had packed a few extra Travesseiros for the road.
Why some travellers think Sintra isn’t worth visiting
After hearing from other travellers and reading reviews online, I understand why some people felt disappointed and said Sintra wasn’t worth it. In most cases, it was because they:
As fairly experienced independent budget travellers, we made only one real mistake in Sintra: visiting Villa Sassetti – a boring stone mansion.
Looking back, I would have preferred spending that time at the Chalet and Garden of the Countess of Edla instead.
So before adding another mansion or palace to your itinerary, spend a few minutes checking photos and reviews.
Not every historic estate in Sintra offers the same experience.
So, should you visit Sintra? Here is my honest verdict
For me, the answer is an easy yes. Sintra is one of the few places in Portugal where royal palaces, historic mansions, forests, hiking trails, beaches, local desserts and even ghost stories all exist within the same destination.
We spent three days here and still left with places we wanted to see.
I also liked how easy Sintra was to include in a Portugal itinerary.
We found direct Flixbus connections from places such as Porto, Coimbra and Fátima, while destinations further south, including Faro and the Algarve, are easy to reach with a change in Lisbon.
With a little research and realistic planning, I think most travellers will quickly understand why Sintra is worth it.
It ended up being one of my favourite places in Portugal, and I would happily return.
FAQ
How many days in Sintra is enough?
One day is enough for Sintra’s main highlights, but I recommend at least two days to explore the palaces, historic centre and coastline. We spent three days and still found more to do.
Is Sintra worth visiting as a day trip from Lisbon?
Yes, Sintra is one of the best day trips from Lisbon, just plan well. If possible, stay at least one night to explore after the crowds leave and see more than just Pena Palace.
Is Lisbon or Sintra better?
Lisbon and Sintra offer very different experiences. Sintra is better for palaces, forests, hiking trails and a small-town atmosphere, while Lisbon is better for museums, nightlife, food and city life. Personally, I preferred Sintra.
Where to stay in Sintra?
I recommend staying in historic Sintra, where most attractions, restaurants and bus connections are located. This saves time and lets you explore much of the town on foot. We stayed at Palácio de Sintra Boutique House, a restored 200-year-old mansion with a great location and plenty of character.
