"Sintra, Portugal" a Sintra Travel Page by acemj

My visit to Sintra was made more memorable by unpredictable weather. When we first arrived, the clouds were thick and moving fast in the sky. As we visited various sights, we walked through mist and stood high atop cliffs being blown by tremendous winds. We literally disappeared in the clouds and emerged at the base of the mountain into puddle-filled streets. By the end of the day, we were running to the train station through a driving rain laughing all the way.

Most guidebooks tout Sintra as a virtually mandatory daytrip from Lisbon and it's easy to see why. The town sits on the rugged slopes of the Serra de Sintra. Its Old Quarter is a hilly jumble of interesting streets, touristy stores and varied architecture. You'll find some of the most important palaces and museums in Portugal as well as some beautiful homes and excellent hiking trails and parks.

Lord Byron famously referred to Sintra as a "glorious Eden" and even before the famous poet wrote these lines, Sintra was admired. The ancient Iberians called it the Mountain of the Moon and practiced all sorts of cult worship here and the Moors were so taken by the setting that they built a castle on one of the hills above the town which, to this day, provides spectacular views over the landscape below.