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

The biggest palace I have visited. This palace is build in rectangular shape with wide length that…read morecreates the long corridor to walk from one corner to the other. The first level is convent with all the living quarters. The cathedral also located on center of the palace. The second level is the living space for the royal. This dual use palace is the first I have visited. The visit will take minimum 1.5 hours to complete if you walk fast. The first floor cathedral has a lot of relic that to be use for the festival on the street. The cathedral is actually the Basilica of Our Lady and St. Anthony of Mafra. I like marble construction. It connected to the convent and living quarters of the nun. You can see the each quarter has the fire metal bowl. At very interesting is the first time I see the hospital in the convent for the sick people. The second floor is huge. The royal quarter, painted ceiling, games room, throne room, trophies room, royal prince room, music room, and more. The most spectacular is the library. The collection is by section. This library is very similar to the University of Coimbra library. The collection includes monster, magic, science and more for the books. Love it.

I enjoyed my visit here. I drove from Lisbon planning only to see the library, which is…read morehistorically important, if you're a big fan of libraries like me. But, I ended up pleasantly surprised by the added parts which included a museum and a "birds of prey" exhibit. The bird exhibit (and photo op) alone was 5 stars--I'm easily impressed by birds, I guess. The library, which I came for, was visually impressive. Yet, I was SUPER DISAPPOINTED that visitors couldn't actually go into the library. You can only take photos from one end and only about 3 meters into the space. So. Disappointed. Even so, it was a gorgeous space and seeing the rest of the palace sort of helped assuage my disappointment. If you're in the area (or an old library fan girl, I'd recommend it.

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.

When checking out and reviewing the palaces we could check out in Sintra, I didn't really see too…read moremany people talking about Monserrate Palace. I looked at pictures online and the architecture looked pretty nice, so I decided that it was worth seeing while we were here - a decision that I'm glad I made. After visiting Regaleira in the morning, we took an Uber here. You can also take the bus but we were on a time crunch and decided an Uber was pretty worth it. It's honestly not that expensive so I'd even recommend that option. This palace is pretty far from the rest of the mainstream castles and palaces like Pena, Moorish, and Regaleira so a bus would definitely take some time. We had already pre-purchased our tickets online so they scanned it from our phones and off we went. Even thought the line for buying tickets was nonexistent there, I totally recommend doing this as you get a small discount from buying online beforehand. We headed straight for the palace. It truly is one of the underrated palaces. It's no Moorish Castle as it's not big nor grand, but it's quaint and charming in its own way. There's way less people here so it's not as chaotic, and you could take nice pictures. It has a beautiful hallway, and I absolutely love the ceilings. Always remember to look up at these types of structures because the ceilings may surprise you with beautiful designs. Aside from the palace, the garden is also nice to walk around for a bit. Again, I like how quiet and peaceful it was compared to the other castles and palaces. It felt serene to walk around the park. The lawns were so green and lush. There were a few ponds as well as mini waterfalls. Although, the gardens are definitely skippable if you're on a time crunch. I don't think it's an absolute must-see, but if you have the time, I would definitely recommend a stop at this palace. As a tourist, you're only here once right?

This palace is so beautiful. I loved that it was not as crowded as all the others…read more The designs and molding throughout are so intricate. I decided to take an Uber here. The bus took too long and the price differential isn't significant. I'm glad that I didn't skip on this one. Definitely recommend this one.

One of Portugals must see day trips! You can't complete a Portugal trip without visiting the fairy…read moretale castle: National Palace of Pena. Beautiful and easy to get to. I took a tour option of the palace to avoid lines. But you can easily get here by train or bus. When I came here the inside was still under construction, so my tour guide recommended that we just tour the outside since inside would only be about 15 minutes. I love how you can see the three ways this building was made, definitely worth taking a tour to understand this place importance. However, you can still appreciate the tile work, views, intention, and colors of this historic palace.

Pena Palace, the more tourist-friendly name for Parque e Palácio Nacional da Pena, is a UNESCO…read moreWorld Heritage site a 45-minute train ride from Lisbon. It's one of Portugal's most popular attractions even if getting there is a bit of a slog. The palace sits high atop a steep hill and getting to it takes much more than just a train ride. The train takes you to the town of Sintra but busses take you to the ticketing windows and more busses take you to and from the castle entrance. Other palaces and castles are present in the expansive park but they require separate entrance fees and other busses to access, which pretty well explains why I visited only Pena Palace during my time in Sintra. Lots of folks advance-book tours of the palace (including transportation) and other park attractions which, though more expensive than the DIY mode is certainly easier. Still, if you're handling things on your own, the number of guides trying to sell you on a tour when you get off the train in Sintra will give you a chance to reassess. I did it on my own, bypassing all of those who were offering tours. Pena Palace itself, once inside, was easy to navigate. It's a quirky and colorful place, somewhat Disney-esque, and you'll walk though it in a long line of other tourists doing the same. The one place where you can escape the lines is out on the terraces, worth experiencing for the breathtaking views. And, if you've planned nothing more than getting back to Lisbon, do make time to enjoy the views from the castle's outdoor cafe (with rather lousy food). I was encouraged to bus back down to a certain spot then walked from there back to the town of SIntra and its train station. This is a worthy plan as the park itself is filled with beautiful sites, statues, and nature. Even if you've planned to see only Pena Palace this is a good way to see a bit more of what the park holds.

This is a beautiful castle and the walk up from the historic city center was easy, beautiful, and…read moreworth it! Walking the ramparts of this ancient castle, which you can see from anywhere you are in Sintra, is a must do. My husband is afraid of heights and he was not overly excited about walking the castle because it is pretty sketchy - there aren't guard rails to prevent falling off. Views of the town of Sintra and the Pena Palace are stunning. Absolutely worth the visit.

The Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors) is a set of open-air castle ruins on a hilltop. Most…read moreof the visit experience consists of climbing up and down stone steps and walking along castle walls. It unexpectedly rained during most of my visit, even though the skies were clear earlier in the day, and even directly after my visit. The height, occasional lack of guard rails, light-to-medium rain, and mist flowing uphill all combined in some places to create an eery mystique, not easily expressed through photos. However, there were moments when the mist and clouds cleared to show spectacular broad views of the town and countryside below. Make sure you wear sturdy shoes with grip, as most surfaces are cobblestone. Consider bringing a hooded jacket, wide-brim hat, or umbrella in case of rain or excessive sun. The only structure with a roof, other than the ticket office and restrooms, is the church (Ingreja de São Pedro de Canaferrim) building. I took the 434 bus to and from the castle due to rain, but might have walked from town otherwise. The 434 bus has USB-A plugs that can slow-charge one's electronics.

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.