Summer in Sintra - Town Centre & Monserrate Palace


I had tackled the 2 of the top sites of Sintra in one afternoon (straight from the airport mind), which you can read about here. I was looking for a more chilled exploration of Sintra and decided to explore the historic town centre.

A 7 minute walk from my hotel led me to the centre, which was already busy by late morning. I walked through the narrow streets, exploring the souvenir shops, boutiques and indulging in a shot or 2 of liquer! The town centre is home to Sintra Palace, which is currently a historic house museum. I didn’t explore Sintra Palace; however I sat on the grounds, people watched and took in the sun and views.












The bus stop was busy with tourists waiting to board the 434 bus. Bus route 434 starts and ends at the train station and stops tourists at the 3 major sites of Sintra – the town centre, the Castle of the Moors and Pena Palace. 

However I saw a different bus approach the bus stop in the town centre and made a split second decision to board it. Bus route 435, starts at the train station and stops tourists at town centre and 3 palaces - Quinta da Regaleira, the Seteais Palace and Monserrate Palace. Bus route 435 was quieter than 434 and cheaper (€2.50 for a round trip on the 435, while it is €5.50 for a round trip on the 434); however bus route 434 has the more popular sites. 

Influenced by posts from travel blog Hand Luggage Only, Monserrate Palace was on my list of must see sites while in Sintra. I was not disappointed!

When I reached Monserrate Palace, I took a leisurely tour, exploring the grounds before reaching the Palace itself, although you can go to the Palace direct (but where's the fun in that??). I came across a ruined chapel, several water features and a Mexican garden, with beautiful plants and flowers. I felt like I was in tropical country even though I was still in Europe. I wore my converses to explore; pretty sandals and flip-flops are not advisable. 
















The Palace itself is not particularly big; like Pena Palace it was designed to be a Summer Residence. However I liked Monserrate Palace more than Pena Palace; the architecture was beautiful, with Indian, Gothic and Moorish influences.

I noticed that there were a lot less tourists at Monserrate Palace; it was peaceful and there were better opportunities to take pictures without tourists walking by. Another reason why I liked this Palace….

With pre-wedding drinks in Lisbon and my friend’s wedding the following day, I did not want to over exert myself and decided against visiting Quinta da Regaleira and the Seteais Palace. However it just gives me another excuse to visit Sintra again…..

2 comments:

  1. Love your pictures Chi, they're beautiful. I have a thing for narrow streets and old buildings, everything's so gorgeous. Love it! xx
    Coco Bella Blog

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to read my post and leave a comment; I will endeavour to check out your blog as well x

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