Sintra garden
Sintra is a granite massif located about 30 km north of Lisbon and was once home to the Portuguese royal family. When you arrive in Sintra by car or train from Lisbon, you can feel instantly that the air is purer and cooler. Sintra is surrounded by a dense forest of palm and fern trees. Water is omnipresent with streams and waterfalls, creating a lingering humidity that makes you feel as though you have landed on a tropical island! Sintra boasts impressive castles, palaces & “quintas” (estate or mansion) and is recognized as the cradle of European Romantic architecture (more on that later). The formidable micro-climate that allows plants from all over the world to flourish owned the Sintra gardens the status of being the first European site to be listed by UNESCO as a cultural landscape.
History of the Sintra gardens
It was Ferdinand II, King of Portugal, who first transformed the ruins of a monastery into a luxurious castle. He was a talented artist, dabbling in pottery and painting and had an eye for detail and extravagance. The monastery ruins became the Pena Palace and he created an elaborate garden full of exotic plants & exquisite fountains, thus paving the way for the Sintra gardens of the future! He also planted thousands of trees such as native oak, hazel, holly, laurel, box and umbrella pines that now, over a century later, make up the dense forest surrounding Sintra.
Sintra gardens not to be missed!
Perhaps it was the quirky and colourful facades of the buildings in Sintra that lead to such beautiful gardens. Or perhaps it was the exuberant gardens of Sintra that inspired exuberant architecture… either way, Sintra is a place of botanical beauty and quirky quintas! Along with the National Palace (Pena Palace), there are 2 other Sintra gardens that are an absolute must during your visit:
The Quinta Regaleira
A quirky neo-gothic mansion with intriguing gardens. Legend has it that the owner was fascinated by religion and mysticism. The gardens include an initiation well with a spiral staircase that leads deep underground and is believed to have been the headquarters for secret religious meetings. You will also find passageways dug beneath the gardens, forested paths, caves and gargoyles! It really is a most fascinating and mysterious place!
The Palace of Monserrat
This is another example of outstanding renovation from the ruins of a building to a palace, with one of the most biodiverse gardens in Portugal. The grounds of the garden were thoroughly scrutinized and over 3 000 exotic plants from around the world were planted in very specific spots, organized by geographical location. A tour of these gardens is like something out of a fairytale, with waterfalls, lakes and old cobbled stone steps.
We recommend a visit to the sintra gardens early in the day, before the tourist crowds. Victims of their own success, they get very busy during the height of season. The best time for a tour is as soon as the gardens open to the public. Opening hours tend to from between 9 / 10am to 5 / 6pm.
Sintra: a paradise for walkers
No one has better described the romantic atmosphere that emanates from Sintra than the poet Lord Byron, who in his story "The Pilgrimage of Childe Harold" pays a vibrant tribute to Sintra: "Sintra, there! Glorious Eden, heavenly abode/Followed by endless hills and valleys/But what hand could paint or describe/Half of what the eye admires? "
From the small street of the historic centre, you head up into the Sintra hills that spread over 16km from Sintra to Cabo da Roca along the Atlantic coast. The Sintra hills, also referred to as the Sintra mountains or Mountains of the Moon are full of legends of supernatural activity, religious sects and mystical creatures.
The hikes are easy with just a small gradient and are extremely diverse. In half an hour, you can go from stunning Sintra gardens to a dense forest, to the ridge of the massif or along the wild coastline! The limestone cliffs are impressive along this stretch of coastline and the fishermen's paths lead to superb beaches.
What to see on a walking holiday in Sintra
Although the main focus of this blog is on the Sintra gardens, it is impossible not to mention the other fabulous sites that you will discover on your tour of Sintra!
The Moorish castle
Perched on a rocky spur 200m above the centre of Sintra, the ruins of the Moorish castle and its old walls offer an incredible view of Sintra and the nearby Palazzo di Pena. This strategic location, with unobstructive views over the land and sea, allowed the Moors to defend the region from the 8th to the 12th century.
The convent of the capuchos
Hidden in the dense forest of the Sintra hills, the convent was built in 1560 and was home to 12 Capucins monks. This lesser-known architectural gem bears witness to the simple and rustic way of life of the monks, a stark contrast to the rich and exuberant palaces and quintas of Sintra. Here, you will find serenity and tranquility, away from the tourist crowds. The grounds offer caves, old fountains and statues covered by overgrown plants, once again in contrast to the pristinely maintained park of the National & Pena Palaces and the luxurious Sintra gardens.
