Things to do in Sintra-Cascais Natural Park (Portugal) – Map + Tips + Photos

Not far from Lisbon, the Sintra Cascais Natural Park offers both Unesco sites and amazing natural sites: A great region to spend a few days!
To help you plan your trips, below is my selection of the top things to do in Sintra and around: palaces, beaches, cliffs, parks...
All you need to plan your visit including photos, tips and map.

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Why visit Sintra and its Region? Video

Before we have a look at all the things to do in Sintra and its region, below is a short video snapshot with some of the most beautiful locations in the area:

Top Things to do in Sintra-Cascais Natural Park

More suggestions will come in the article, but if you are looking for a good snapshot of the region, my top 5 places to see are the following.
However, everyone has different taste. I tend to be in awe with amazing views of nature and where everything is very scenic.

1. Praia do Magoito Beach, with its impressive cliffs
2. The Castle of the Moors in Sintra, for the history and views
3. The Pena Palace in Sintra, for the uniqueness
4. Praia da Adraga Beach, for the rock formations
5. Cabo da Roca, for the natural wonder that are the panoramas

See them in more details in the rest of the article

Top things to do in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park & Map

The detailed Maps with roads and all the places to visit with their GPS coordinates are  available in my eBooks: The Road Trip Guide - Portugal and The Road Trip Guide: Lisbon - Sintra - Algarve.

Destinations in the Natural Park

• Sintra Town - The highlight of the park is, of course, the town and mountain of Sintra (Serra da Sintra). The whole area is a Unesco listed site. It combines a beautiful forest, parks, ruins as well as unbelievable palaces. It is a great day trip from Lisbon, but if you have time, I recommend staying overnight.
• Cascais & South Coast - Cascais is the most famous resort town in Portugal. Not far from Lisbon, this is where we can find the 'Lisbon Beaches'. Cascais itself is not in the National Park, but it starts on its left.
• Cabo da Roca - the westernmost point of Mainland Europe, home to stunning cliffs and coastline.
• West coast of Sintra Cascais National Park - amazing beaches of great variety. Don't miss Magoito, one of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal.
• Inland - If you want to avoid the tourists, head inland off the beaten track. Take your car in those small roads and discover valleys, farms, windmills and abundant wildlife.

How to get to Sintra

Sintra is very easy to reach, only 30min from Lisbon.

• You can visit the region by car - Compare car rental prices on Discovercars.com - one of the best customer-rated comparison sites!
• or by train + hop on hop off bus
• or via a small group tour from Lisbon (including the coast).

Things to do in Sintra town

Let's start with the best places to visit in Sintra. Below are the major Sintra attractions which are part of the Sintra Unesco site, only 30 minutes from Lisbon.
If would only have one day in Sintra, I recommend visiting the Pena Palace and the Castle of the Moors. With these 2, you discover very distinctive structures and amazing views of the region. But if you have more days, you can find more interesting attractions listed below.
Don't try to pack to much, the places are huge!

Castle of the Moors

Pena Palace

This is one of the most famous buildings in Portugal. This very unique site, full of colors and shapes, sits on top of the mountain range.
The Pena Palace has been named one of the the Seven Wonders of Portugal.

More photos and info on the Sintra Pena Palace Article 

See opening hours

Walking in Sintra

The walk between the old and the new city is quite enjoyable with statues and green areas. Take some time to explore the street. There is much more to see in Sintra!

National Palace of Sintra

Monserrate Palace

Quinta Da Regaleira

Cabo Da Roca & Western Coast

If you head west from Sintra, you will reach the Atlantic coast with amazing cliffs and beautiful beaches.

Cabo da Roca

Praia Da Adraga Beach

Praia Do Magoito

Praia Da Maças

This is not the most scenic beach in the area, but the large sandy area makes it a favorite to spend a day at the beach.

Coastal White villages

If you have time, drive the small roads along the coast and discover the many white villages overlooking the ocean.

And...

If you head further North, you will find:

• Praia da Samarra, a narrow cove
• Praia da Vigia, a long stretch of sand with high cliffs, access limited via some paths
• Praia do Sao Juliao, at the limit of the Natural Park with good facilities to spend the day at the beach. If you walk North of it, you have a great view of the coastline

Things to do around Cascais

To the South is the famous seaside resort of Cascais. 

The most famous beach is Praia Grande Do Guincho with its sand dunes.

The South part of the park also includes:

• Praia da Cresmina
• Farol do Cabo Raso
• Fort of São Jorge de Oitavos

And if you are looking for a very scenic place, and are ready to go off the beaten track, try getting to the amazing cliffs at Praia do Porto do Touro.

Inland - driving around Sintra

Sintra and the park are very touristic. So, if you want to avoid the crowds, go on an adventure. Take the small roads between farms to discover small valleys, views of Serra da Sintra and many many windmills.

And not Far: Mafra

After touring the Sintra region, you can go back to Lisbon. But if you are heading North towards Obidos, have a stop in the town of Mafra (outside the Natural Park). The façade of the Mafra national palace is quite impressive and worth a stop. Built in the 18th century, it was also a monastery for a while

PLANNING TIPS - the Sintra region, Portugal

How to get to Sintra and the region

• OPTION 1 - Driving - Lisbon to Sintra: 30min highway drive via A37 (Parking options are limited close to certain palaces but there are large carparks near Pena and Castle of the Moors)
• OPTION 2 - Metro-train from Lisbon or the train for the Lisbon Rossio Station and then you can take the Hop on hop off bus - one loop takes you to all the palaces and the other to the coast.
• OPTION 3 - A lot of organized day tours from Lisbon will take you to Sintra, Cabo da Roca and the coast - Just sit back, relax and let the guide tell you all about the region - check out program and price
• Lisbon to Cascais - 35 min via A5
• Sintra to Cabo da Roca - 30min via N247

Sintra Accommodations

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