UNESCO World Heritage Site…read more The palace is also known as "The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire." The exterior is a sight to behold. Beyond the palace, there is an extensive park that features lakes, grottoes, wells, fountains, etc. The initiation well is a must. It consists of a spiral staircase with 9 platforms. I enjoyed our visit here, but wished I had more time exploring the grounds.

This was an enchanting and somewhat otherworldly property with mystical grounds, initiation wells…read moreand hidden paths. This quinta, or manor house, is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its cultural homage to freemasonry, the Knights Templar, and Gothic/Roman/Renaissance architecture. We weren't entirely sure what to expect, but I felt like this could be the setting for a new Dan Brown novel. The four-hectare grounds included the palace, a chapel, a 9-story initiation well (apparently used by free masons for ritualistic purposes, and also meant to represent Dante's 9 levels of hell?), and other mystical oddities. We spent the next two hours exploring the ins and outs of the forest, walking down the well and doing our own sort of initiation, exploring underground tunnels and grottos, and walking through the manor house. It was a unique experience and would definitely recommend as one of the attractions to do on a Sintra day trip

We walked in this neighborhood and it was surrounded by many nightclub and bar options. Most…read morebecome alive later in the night but walking through the streets is a treat. We came back later and the place was thriving with vendors and an awesome DJ! The food was amazing and i had the best churros I've ever tasted! Walking around the park and dancing to the incredible music the DJ played made for a very memorable evening. And you can see a beautiful view of the entire city!

Man, what a great discovery. We had an amazing evening there enjoying a fantastic live band that…read moreplayed everything from amazing blues to Jimi Hendrix' foxy lady. Great music loving crowd. Inexpensive drinks. If you're in Lisbon you've got to visit this place.

Cabo Da Roca is the westernmost point of mainland Europe. It looks out into the Atlantic Ocean…read more There is also a lighthouse and hiking trails. The place was crowded with tourist buses. We had about 20 minutes here, so no hiking along the cliffs for us. We spent half that time in the bathroom line (.50€).

This place almost has a mythic quality to it - being it's the westernmost point of continental…read moreEurope and all. It's a little bit of a schlep to get here but it's worth the effort once you arrive. As I just described, this is basically where you stand and look at the ocean - the same ocean where people sailed hundreds of years ago west with no idea where they were headed other than the promise of a new land. That's the kind of feeling you get when you stand here. Or if you're not nostalgic or into history - you're going to stand here take nice photos and complain nonstop about how windy this place is because it will literally blow your hats off the second you walk to the ocean side area. There are a few monuments and memorial areas that you can take photos at, but the real draw here is the sense of vastness before you as you stand there and take in the vibes. Again it is WINDY as hell here - so if you're wearing very little clothing or lots of loose clothing, you've been warned. Plus, the weather here changes fast and it's not unusual to see rain just sweep in which is what I encountered when I was there. Take the wind and rain together and it's not a lot of fun so just be mindful of what you're wearing.

I came here based on a thinly written blog post I found online that had been posted years ago. That…read moreis probably my first mistake. :) I'll start with the "Know Before You Go" (somewhat negatives): - There is no Welcome Center - There is no English-language information available - There are only a few pull-off places and many have DEEP pot holes, watch out - In the summer, the loop road becomes, partially, one-way (check out the map) - If you're going to Portinho da Arrabida, it is 1,5EUR to park far away and 3EUR to park closer To the positives: - Getting into the park is free - The park is gorgeous - The beaches are lovely - It's only about an hour from Lisbon and is the only unsettled land I saw while in Portugal If you want to see beautiful coastline, this is a great place to do it. There's also a convent there (I couldn't find any information about it), which is beautiful to photograph (from afar). I've included a map with details about the one-way road situation. Hopefully this will save you some heartburn--and a problem with the law. :) I ended up getting help from a nice man I saw hiking. He directed me to Sesimbra, which was about 35 minutes away. It was a good suggestion. I wrote a review for the beach there which you should check out (Praia da Califórnia: http://www.yelp.com/biz/praia-da-calif%C3%B3rnia-sesimbra?hrid=3Hg0ianYc40NsXBqPdQ3kQ). I did see what appeared to be parking areas for hikes/trails. I was unable to find any sure information about them though. Because I was traveling solo, I opted for caution and didn't give it ago.

Our visit to the Santuario de Cristo Rei was great. The monument is a smaller version of the…read moremonument in Rio, Brazil. To get there from Lisbon, you have to take a short and affordable ferry to the city of Almada. Almada is a cool, much slower city, and more affordable. After arriving at the Almada port, you can get to the monument via taxi, tuk tuk, or walk. We chose to walk. Although it took us about 40 minutes, we were able to see the city. It should be noted the walk is hilly. Regarding the monument itself, it was very nice with excellent views of Lisbon, the bridge, and the waterway. For a fee (around $9 euros) and a several minute wait, you can also go to the top of the monument for an even better view.

It took us almost an hour of waiting and 75 steps to get to the top. There are bars for your…read moreprotection. Purchase tickets before you wait in line on a separate building right when you park . There are steps to get to the aouvenir shop where there's an elevator to get you down. Despite the waiting (-1 star) - it was worth the wait.

Highly suggest this if you are in Lisbon. Might be the best thing I have seen in Lisbon yet and I…read morehave seen a lot of the main attractions. The house tour is a must (no pictures) and the guide is so knowledgeable about the history of the Palácio and Portugal. There are so many beautiful nooks to get lost in. So much beauty and history packed into this Palácio. A bit far from the city center which makes this even more worth your visit. It feels like you are one of a handful of people visiting and there were a few times I had the property almost to myself.

This really is a great venue to have a wedding or any event. Our family had a 50 person ceremony…read more They take care of it all. They catered the 4 course meal, took care of the flowers, officiant, cake, DJ,and everything that needed to be done other than the photographer. We were there for around 10 hours for the entire wedding and they made sure that everything went off without a hitch. We had the ceremony in the lower garden, and moved to the upper garden for cocktails and then the porch for the meal and dancing the night away. I highly recommend this place and really felt like we were at one of the best events ever which tells me they must do good for most others that take advantage of this beautiful venue.

UNESCO World Heritage site…read more The tower was completed in 1519. It served as a fortress and a ceremonial gateway for explorers, customs point, a lighthouse, and a political prison. Unfortunately, it was being renovated when we were there.

This is one of many monuments on the riverside that pays homage to Portugal's history and their…read moreexplorers as well. It's a nice area and the tower was majestic though sadly we were part of the many who visited recently during renovations so the scaffolding covered most of the structure as my photo indicates. However, the area was pleasant with plenty of tourists and a little marketplace nearby that you can buy some modestly priced but mediocre quality souvenirs. I was told by our local tour guide to be careful with our belongings here as there were reports of pickpockets I was was somewhat neurotic when I was walking around but I didn't see anything during my visit - but just flagging here as an FYI.