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​Beyond Lisbon - A day trip to Sintra and Cabo da Roca

A trip to Lisbon can't be complete if you don't spare a day to visit the National Palace of Pena which is straight out of a fairy tale, and Cabo da Roca - the westernmost tip of Europe 

The fairy tale palace of Pena and the westernmost tip of Europe

10/16/2016

5 Comments

 
When you are in Lisbon, there is a LOT to see and to do! This is a place where you can spend weeks and still stumble upon a new lovely street or a panoramic viewpoint out of no where! And just a drive or short train ride away from Lisbon is Belém - with the lovely Belem tower and the gorgeous Jerónimos Monastery.

I shall cover about Lisbon and Belém on a separate story, but the objective of this blog is to let everyone know that if you are visiting Portugal, or just Lisbon, you HAVE TO spare a day to visit the lovely city of Sintra and one of its most dreamy palace - National Palace of Pena. And whats the point in going all the way there and not going a bit further and hitting the westernmost tip of Europe? Yes, that's Cabo da Roca, a super windy location (even if there is no wind anywhere else in Portugal), and gorgeous views of the Atlantic ocean.

Park and National Palace of Pena, Sintra

Situated around 20 min drive away (40 mins by train) from Lisbon, the geographical location of the Sintra hills has been always important to all the several civilizations that have crossed Portugal.

It was a strategic location because of the elevation from the hills and views – one could control the surroundings, from the ocean until the city of Lisbon…if the weather allowed. The Sintra region has its own microclimate that provides all the elements necessary for the growth of several different species of flowers, plants and trees. Sintra hills suffer a lot of exposure to the winds coming from the ocean. So, the locals say that its is normal to visit Sintra on a summer day and encounter foggy or cloudy weather while in the surrounding areas it’s clear sky. 

Its highly recommended to take a stroll around the park of Pena before or after visiting the Pena palace. Its an unique park where you can easily spend a day. When ordering the construction of the Pena Palace, King Ferdinand II also ordered the reforestation of the hilltop around the palace. And being aware of the microclimate nature of the region, he brought over five hundred different species of trees originating from the four corners of the earth which is all at your display in the park!

And, the park provides some great views of the Pena Palace from a distance, sitting on top of one the Sintra hills.
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Its around 30 minutes walk from the entrance of the Pena Palace to the palace itself, through the park.

Palace of Pena is the result of King Ferdinand II’s creative genius and the greatest expression of 19th-century romanticism in Portugal, denoting clear influences from the Manueline and Moorish styles of architecture. The palace was built in such a way that it is visible from any point in the park.

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One can see the Moorish castle, on one of the other Sintra hills, from Pena Palace and vise versa
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Read more in page 2
5 Comments
Jasmine from My Suitcase Journeys link
11/1/2016 05:46:30 pm

What a beautiful palace! Absolutely love your gorgeous photos and can't wait to read about Lisbon and Belem. Thanks for sharing!

Reply
Samita
11/6/2016 07:50:55 pm

Thank you so much Jasmine! Appreciate your feedback. :)

Reply
Kelly link
1/2/2017 07:24:18 pm

Beautiful photos! We loved Sintra so much, we had to go back for round two so we could see all of the palaces! It's probably a tie between Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira for us.

Reply
assignment help price link
8/30/2017 11:10:00 pm

The palace of the fairy tale has been explained with the aid of the well-studied excerpts for the students. The continent of Europe has been beautifully designed for the hosting of such new tails for the students. The apparent look of the actors has been done for the implementation of the scenes for the moral lessons for the public.

Reply
net worth link
11/23/2021 04:01:49 pm

Thank you! The photos are stunning!

Reply



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  • Home
  • About
  • My photo blogs
    • 6 days in the magical land of Jordan
    • Day trip to Cinque Terre, Italy
    • Long weekend in Malta - 3 days
    • Beyond Lisbon - a day trip to Sintra and Cabo da Roca
    • Weekend hiking in Algarve Portugal
    • BEYOND BERLIN: THE PERFECT WEEKEND IN DRESDEN AND BASTEI
    • FAIRYTALE PHOTOS OF HALSTATT, AUSTRIA
    • A GUIDE TO INDIA’S BLUE CITY OF JODHPUR
    • Best winter week in Iceland
  • MY TRAVEL STORY
  • Contact