Day 4 ·
Sintra, Cabo da Roca and Cascais
Lisbon · Portugal · 2 min read
A full day outside Lisbon on a tour in Spanish, with Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, the westernmost point of mainland Europe, Cascais and our last sunset in Lisbon.
- 1
Parque Eduardo VII viewpoint
The tour's meeting point, at the top of the park. Check-in at 8:10 and departure right on time at 8:20: they only give you five minutes of grace.
- 2
Sintra historic center
First stop for a sweet breakfast at Casa Piriquita: travesseiros and queijadas, the typical pastries of Sintra.
- 3
Pena Palace
Ninety minutes between the interiors and the terraces. Arriving before ten, on a weekday, is the difference between enjoying it and lining up shoulder to shoulder.
Our guide Yes, it's worth it, but only early and on a weekday. At midday in high season it turns into a two-hour line. Read the full guide - 4
Lunch in Sintra
Free time and a traditional Portuguese lunch at Romaria de Baco. We ordered the dish of the day.
Our guide Yes, it's worth it for lunch in Sintra without falling for the tourist menus on the square. It's home-style Portuguese cooking in a small dining room; get there early, because at peak hours the kitchen slows down. Read the full guide - 5
Quinta da Regaleira
The Initiation Well, the tunnels and the grottoes. We went straight to the well, before it filled up.
Our guide For many people it is the best thing in Sintra, better than Pena. The only problem is the line at the bottom of the well: head straight there as soon as you get in. Read the full guide - 6
Cabo da Roca
The westernmost point of mainland Europe: 140-meter cliffs, the lighthouse and a whole lot of wind. Free.
Our guide As a 30-minute stop on a tour that already passes by, yes. As its own two-hour bus trip from Lisbon, it's more debatable: it's cliffs, a lighthouse and wind. Read the full guide - 7
Cascais
After the Guincho coastal road, 45 minutes to walk the fishermen's beach and the marina.
- 8
Santa Catarina viewpoint
Back in Lisbon, sunset on the terrace at Noobai Café. It was our last sunset in the city.
Our guide Yes, it's worth it for the view and the sunset, not for the food. Go for wine and a cheese board, get there early and don't expect fast service. Read the full guide
For Sintra we decided to keep it simple. We booked a full-day tour in Spanish that included tickets to Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira, and that also went out to Cabo da Roca and Cascais. Doing it on our own, by train and bus, we would have had to choose between the palaces and the coast.
Why we planned it this way
Pena Palace is the most visited monument in Portugal, and it fills up between 11 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. Our tour arrived at 9:45 on a Wednesday, just ahead of the wave of groups, and the guide took care of the timed entry. That’s why we put it first.
Quinta da Regaleira comes after lunch because the trick there is different: go in and walk straight to the Initiation Well, the 27-meter spiral staircase everyone wants to photograph. The rest of the estate is better enjoyed without rushing.
Cabo da Roca and Cascais close out the afternoon on the way back, along the Guincho coastal road. And since it was our last night in Lisbon, we saved the sunset for the Santa Catarina viewpoint, a few steps from the hotel.
What to know before you go
The meeting point is at the top of Parque Eduardo VII and the tour leaves on time. We called an Uber from Chiado at 7:45; the ride takes about ten minutes. That night we still had to pack: the next day our train to Porto left at 9:00.
What we booked and tasted
Sintra, Cabo da Roca and Cascais: full-day tour in Spanish
- Spanish-speaking guide and a small-group van
- Entry to the Pena Palace interiors
- Entry to Quinta da Regaleira
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Sintra by public transit, with the climbs, the lines and each palace's schedule, doesn't fit in one day if you also want to see the coast. With the tour, the guide handled the timed tickets and all we had to do was walk.
Casa Piriquita
Order Travesseiros and queijadas de Sintra
Sintra's classic pastry shop since 1862. If the line is long, Queijadas da Sapa is a few steps away.
Romaria de Baco
Order Dish of the day
Everyday Portuguese food, without the trap of the restaurants on the main square.
Noobai Café
Order Cheese board and vinho verde
The terrace at the Santa Catarina viewpoint. They don't take reservations: you have to arrive before 6:30 PM to get a table with a view.
Chiado Parque Eduardo VII
Uber for about €8–12. By metro: the blue line from Baixa-Chiado to São Sebastião and five minutes on foot. Don't get off at Marquês de Pombal: you end up at the bottom of the park with a 15-minute climb.
Lisbon Sintra
In the tour van.
What we learned
Tips
- Sintra is 5 to 8 degrees Celsius cooler than Lisbon and often misty. Bring a light jacket even if it's sunny in Lisbon.
- At the Regaleira, go to the Initiation Well first and leave through the tunnel that comes out at the lake. You can see the inside of the palace in ten minutes.
- If it rains, the Pena Palace interiors and the galleries of the Cidadela de Cascais are a good plan.
Do
- Ask on the tour how much free time you'll have in Sintra so you can plan lunch.
- Save the sunset for a Lisbon viewpoint; the tour drops you back around 5:15 PM.
Don’t
- Don't ride the little tourist train in Sintra: it's slow and doesn't save you any walking.
- Don't detour to the Chalet of the Countess of Edla on a 90-minute tour of Pena: it has a separate entrance and eats up your time.