To get to Sintra from Lisbon we had to get the bus to the station and then a train to Sintra, fairly easy and not too expensive. Once we got to Sintra there were a queue of people who were touting their tours outside the train station. We shopped around and decided to go with the Red Bus Co as they picked up and dropped off at various locations. We had thought of driving the moho there but once we got there we were pretty glad that we hadn’t, even the Red buses were half the size of our moho!
In parts, the Palace of Pene for example, reminded me a little of Portmeirion in Wales, it didn’t quite look like it fitted into the surroundings! The whole place was quite surreal and such fun.
What we hadn’t realised is that even having left fairly early we didn’t get there till about mid morning and it was still ‘winter’ opening hours, so nothing opened till 10am and everything closed for entry by 5pm which didn’t leave us enough time to see everything.
We had to be selective so first off we went to Castelo dos Mouros (the Moorish Castle) which was surrounded by Parque da Pena full of trees, shrubs and follies and at the very top the castle, from which you had amazing views.
The Moorish Castle walls reminded us of The Great Wall of China in some aspects. (click on the link to compare photos)
After the park and castle we walked up to the Palace of Pena, at that point we wished we’d waited for the Red bus! Oringinally a 15th century monastery which was taken over by King Ferdinand and over 54 years turned it into a pleasure palace for his mistress. It was completed the year before he died. Maybe building the castle gave him something to life for? Who knows! It certainly is quirky. We decided to get the little shuttle bus up to the castle as the road looked almost vertical!! (€3 well spent)
We had a brilliant day out in Sintra and would definitely visit it again. Two friends wrote to me on Facebook whilst we were on our travels and said that as we were in Lisbon we must visit Sintra, so glad we did.