Day tours in Lisbon & surroundings
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Program
Go up to one of the highest peaks of the mountain through a narrow and crooked road crossing Sintra forest.
Fairy tale Pena palace and its surrounding park are billed as "a consummate specimen of Portuguese
romantic architecture", with a profusion of eclectic styles, 500 meters above sea level, on a rocky promontory
that looks purpose-built for a castle. Visit Pena palace. From the palace, one has a spectacular outlook onto
the mountain and its surroundings.
At the end of the morning, free time at Sintra’s historical town centre. It is made up of a charming maze of
steep, narrow streets lined with fine examples of old palatial homes hiding behind lichen-covered walls,
while local pastry shops provide the famous Sintra ‘queijadas’ (cheese pastries), ‘travesseiros’ (egg and
almond pastries) and local wine. The town is also full of shops that carry many of the local crafts like pottery,
ceramics and lace. Lunch included.
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Abounding in history this village is dominated by the two conical chimneys of the Palácio Nacional da Vila, dating from the XIV century;
this is the oldest royal palace in Portugal, where sea conquerors planned their trips and navigators where welcomed by the king, like
Columbus and Vasco da Gama. Visit the palace.
Drive across the luxuriant Sintra Mountain and its gardens - "The Glorious Eden" - by twisted roads bordered by several plants, its
mystical hills dotted with fairytale palaces and extravagant villas that have bewitched visitors for centuries. Pass by Colares, famous for
its "Ramisco" vines, some of the oldest in Portugal and belonging to a demarcated area of wine.
Go up the mountain by twisted roads with breathtaking views of the coastline and arrive to Cabo da Roca - the westernmost point of
continental Europe, a promontory of Sintra Mountain, a granite cliff, 472 feet (144 m) high - for a fantastic view of the seaside. Stop. (From
the 1st March to the 31st October).
Next is Guincho beach, backed by dunes and with some of the best rollers in Europe, it is a true paradise for surfers.
Continue by the seaside with rocky and sandy beaches and the picturesque cliff - the Mouth of Hell - where high waves crash into gigantic
caves carved out of the rock by the sea.
Cascais fishing port swiftly expanded to an elegant, cosmopolitan, coastal resort. Once stop of navigators like Columbus and Vasco da
Gama.
From the hill there’s a nice view of Estoril bay and the typical fishing boats unloading the catch, a flash marina and a castle.
We return to Lisbon by Estoril Coast where we can have a panoramic view of the Casino and its gardens. The Estoril coast, incorporating
holiday hotspots offers great beaches and a choice of historic sights.
(Not recommendable to disabled)
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