Sinatra

Restaurants in Sintra

Due to the proximity of Sintra and Lisbon, there are very similar culinary characteristics between the two. Seafood and fresh fish characterize most of the city's restaurants, where you can also find the Zinzinia liqueur and the national Parcesina sandwiches in every local shop and cafe. To sweeten the coffee you should taste the national pastry Pasteis de Nata and also the local pastry Queijada de Sintra which is made of cheese, eggs, milk, almonds and sugar. In addition, there is a common puff pastry in Sintra called Travesseiro de Sintra, also filled with almond cream and eggs. 

The city has several recommended restaurants with word-of-mouth reviews and recommendations, in almost all of them you will find the foods we have mentioned here, alongside grilled delicacies, fine breads, excellent Italian food, selected meats and more. Example restaurants are Arola, Nau Palatina, Taverna Dos Trovadores and Saudade which is considered one of the most recommended cafe-restaurants in Portugal.

Attractions in Sintra

It is not for nothing that Sinatra is defined as "Disneyland for adults." The palaces and luxury mansions built here for the residence of the Portuguese nobles compete with each other as to who is more beautiful and provide a magical and inspiring sight for the duration of the stay. Due to being located on mountains, Sinatra will not allow you to walk comfortably between different attractions and will require you to rent a car or travel from site to site by bus. Each of the attractions in the city is a whole world in itself, so to exhaust it you need at least several hours. 

National Palace of the Rock

Pena Palace is considered the most famous in Sintra and definitely matches the Disney children's stories. In fact, it was originally built as a monastery and was converted in the 19th century into the residence of King Ferdinand II. The entrance to the place opens with the payment desks on the plain from which you have to go up on foot (about 500 meters) or take a shuttle to the entrance to the palace. Inside you can tour the rooms of the palace and go out to the many balconies, take pictures and be impressed. 

worth two lakes

The National Park of Sintra offers a selection of green and beautiful hiking trails of varying levels of difficulty. Some of them start at Pena Palace, so it is advisable to go to the souvenir shop and get a free map of the park and its routes. The "Valley of the Lakes" is considered one of the easiest and most charming routes in the park, including sweet corners, lakes where ducks swim leisurely, magnificent woods and more. 

Castle of the Moors

One of the must-see points in the city, which is about an ancient fortress from the ninth century, surrounded by natural and pastoral woods. The main remnant of the fort is a long wall and stairs to the mesmerizing view of the city. 

Vacation Specials

This time, too, it is a palace surrounded by charming gardens and it reminds (or was it the inspiration for) many fairy tales and children's stories, starting from the courtyard of the "Beast" palace from Beauty and the Beast to the kingdom of Narnia. The gardens include spiral staircases to ancient wells and underground passages that you can explore (you should! Bring flashlights!) until you arrive right under a waterfall or pool. The place is spacious and suitable for hours of wandering as a couple or with the children. You can navigate the place using the orderly signage and the map distributed at the entrance. 

Parque e Palacio de Monserrate

This is an English mansion that is not located in the city center but is very much worth the visit. The famous Monserrat Park and Palace were built according to the romantic architecture from the 19th century and are characterized by an ancient and dreamy historical appearance, influenced by many architectural styles such as Gothic, Indian and Moorish. This palace is also used for a variety of cultural and music events. 

Palacio de Sintra

Returning to the city center, into the heart of the city. The National Palace of Sintra is located here and offers an ideal starting point for any attraction in the city. The palace is built in a selection of styles: Manueline, Gothic, Moorish and more. It includes Moorish and Hispanic tiles and several renovations throughout history, to reach its impressive and unique current appearance. 

Hop and off

The tourist bus travel method here will allow you to purchase a day ticket, catch the bus at any stop, get off to visit the nearby attraction and get back on. This method is used in many countries in the world and has great justification in Madeira, due to the steep ups and downs from place to place. Since you won't be able to see all of the city's sites in just one day, the hop-on hop-off will help you make the most of it. 

Car rental in Sintra

Although it is possible to travel within the city quite comfortably using the bus, the car becomes the available and convenient travel option, also the most spontaneous of the two. It should be taken into account that driving in the areas of the various attractions and palaces is done on winding, narrow, one-way roads. Therefore, a situation of confusion on the road will force you to continue driving for half an hour until you can turn around. Parking is done in the marked areas and for a fee. Please note that due to the popularity of the city in the summer months, the parking spaces are taken early. Therefore, it is advisable to be as early as possible. In addition, driving in the city is not considered comfortable due to the heavy loads. 

If you are traveling in several cities in Portugal and are in Lisbon with the rented car, it is advisable to leave it in the parking lot and reach Sintra by public transport by train or an Uber taxi. The journey takes only about 40 minutes.

Flights to Sintra

The city of Sintra does not have its own airport and enjoys a particularly high proximity to Lisbon's airport and the city itself. The distance from Lisbon airport to the city is 21 km in total, which means you can fly directly without any connection. 

Most of the direct flights from Israel to Lisbon operate in the summer months. The rest of the year is characterized by a particularly irregular flight schedule, but consisting of several flights every week on behalf of El Al airlines and TAP, the international airline of Portugal. The duration of the flight is about 5 hours and the ticket prices in the summer are 200-300 dollars thanks to the increased frequency of flights. In winter, on the other hand, there is an increase in prices due to the rarity of flights and they stand at 450-600 dollars one way for a single ticket. The transition seasons (March-April and October-November) are priced at $350-500 per ticket. 

Another possibility to reduce costs is the use of low-cost flight systems. The low-cost revolution has realized the vision of the world's open skies and allows all the country's residents to fly abroad comfortably and spontaneously, without having to spend months of hard work to purchase a plane ticket to nearby destinations such as Portugal. You can fly with easyJet, Wise Air and Ryanair, which offer flights without baggage and meals , or choose the discounted routes of Top Portugal. Searching for flights in the price comparison engines will also bring up the possibility of purchasing a "combined" ticket, where the flight is direct on the way and includes a connection on the way back. 

The connections remain extremely cheap throughout the year and allow you to fly with good and safe airlines such as Lufthansa, Iberia, Austrian, British, Turkish and more. These companies land in their capital city and from them you have to board a connecting flight to Lisbon. Any longer wait at the stopover destination will make the ticket cheaper. 

When should you fly to Sintra?

Portugal is a warm country similar to Israel and therefore suitable for trips even in winter and during the transition seasons. In the summer, the temperature reaches 35-40 degrees and is accompanied by high humidity. In the winter between November and March there are many rains and also snows in the mountains. As a country with a warm climate, it is rare for it to drop below 5 degrees in winter, so unlike other European cities, Sintra can be suitable for a visit even in winter. And beyond that - who among us does not dream of seeing a castle from fairy tales when it is covered in a mysterious fog? 

Since every traveler will be able to choose the best flight times without considering the season, it is possible to consider the arrival also according to special events and dates that take place in Sintra and neighboring Lisbon:

In the month of February, a famous carnival takes place all over the country and is accompanied by huge colorful parades, fairs and an atmosphere in the style of the carnival in Rio. Lisbon is considered one of the biggest festival centers and there are several huge events with the participation of famous stars.

On April 25.4, the Civil Liberties Day (a kind of independence day) is celebrated and is accompanied by huge celebrations. Some businesses and websites may be closed on this day.

International Workers' Day is celebrated on May 1.5 and is considered a public holiday throughout the country. 

Portugal Day was celebrated on June 10.6.

During the month of June, the National Agricultural Fair takes place in Lisbon and it will continue until September. As the festivities begin, traditional bullfights take place. In the Portuguese tradition, unlike the Spanish, the bull is not killed, but participation should be considered especially when it comes to a trip with children.  

During June and July, the Sinatra Festival is celebrated, dedicated to music and concerts from the Romantic period. The city holds a large number of performances in its central palaces, in parks and mansions, in churches and also in the countryside of the city. 

During the month of July, the Colete Encarnado festival is celebrated in the nearby town of Vila Franca de Xira (about 40 minutes by car) where it is customary to release the bulls around the alleys. 

During the middle of July and for five weeks, the Estoril Music Festival takes place in Lisbon, which includes several very large performances.