"Sintra" Portugal Things to Do Tip by traveldave

The village of Sintra is located in the Sintra Mountains 17 miles (28 kilometers) from Lisbon. It is near the Atlantic coast, where warm southerly winds clash with moist westerlies, causing a microclimate which is cooler and wetter than in the surrounding countryside. Its pleasant climate made it a favorite summer retreat for Portugal's royal family and nobility.

The Moors were the first to settle in the Sintra area in the eighth and ninth centuries. They built a castle and defensive walls, now called the Castle of the Moors, on a hillside overlooking the site of the future town. The town of Sintra itself was probably first settled in the eleventh century.

After the reconquest in the twelfth century, Portuguese kings and aristocrats built palaces, villas, and churches in and around the town. It is these buildings that make Sintra a popular destination for day trips out of Lisbon. Tourists come to see the National Palace of Sintra, the Pena National Palace, the Montserrate Palace, the Seteais Palace, the Regaleira Palace and Gardens, the Castle of the Moors, and Sintra-Cascais National Park.

This collection of historic buildings led UNESCO to name Sintra a World Heritage Site in 1995.