Walking and Hiking

Sintra is perfect for walking; spring, summer, fall and winter.  Take it from me, I usually take at least an hour's walk 5-6 times a week in the mornings, every season.  When I can, I take longer walks, and most often I am accompanied by my  now two-year old Great Dane Pandora.  Dog or not, the roads and mountain paths are safe.  I just like to walk with her to have company and someone to talk to!

I will be writing in this post very generally, intending to write more in detail later about some of the paths, with more pictures.  Just hoping that this will inspire you whilst planning!  Some general information first.

The views from near the Moorish
Castle are rewarding

The nature is magical here

The first important point:  we are on the Sintra mountain.  There is very little straight to walk.  In addition to lots of curves, it is hilly.   In some cases lots of steps and even climbing.   Second point, there are not very good detailed maps easily available.  Yet, the paths are usually quite well marked.  And the locator of the iPhone seems to always be helpful in pointing out where you are.  So good shoes and a positive mind are a must!  Additionally, most of the paths are in the shade and high up, so it is easily cool and windy.  Which is great in the summer!  And winter, as the trees tend to protect you from the heavier winds. Most walks pass by water fountains where you can fill your bottles up with natural mineral water coming from the mountain.  In the summer the night falls after 8-9 pm, now in the winter it starts getting dark around 5-6 pm. We have several pairs of Nordic Walking sticks, some back-packs, reflectors, flashlights etc for you to use, if you decide not to pack your own.

On the trail toward Pena Palace

QR codes near Pena Palace

Near Pena Palace there is a lot of
nature information

SO - walking trails.  Naturally there are trails to the major monuments, such as Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle.  It makes sense to plan to visit the two at the same time, as they are relatively close together, up and away from the center.  These walks are some of my favourites as the forest is well taken care of and just gorgeous around these places.  In addition to getting to there, there are other tracks around them to explore in safety - and these are well mapped out.  Near the monuments, there are also many informative roadside posters about the history and points of natural interest along the trail.  In some instances, accompanied by QR codes.    Plan for a minimum of 4-5 hours to walk to and visit the monuments:  from Casa do Valle to the gates of Pena Park, it is approximately 45 minutes, plan an hour in the garden, another visiting the palace, a half an hour to the Moorish Castle, an hour visiting it and a half an hour back to town.   Naturally you want to stop for a lunch break, either at the coffee shop of Pena, or just to eat take-away sandwiches from your back-pack. If you do your walking in the afternoon, you will be pleased to know that the paths around the Moorish Castle are now lit at night! All of  this area is very picturesque, so if you like photography, do plan some photo-time, too.

The wooden signs in town  point to the direction of the small routes

Other trails are thematic with the major objective to see nature and places in Sintra that are not necessarily the main monuments.  There are several smaller, 2-5 km walks, thematically planned and mapped out - they are also well marked and maintained. They are marked with wooden signs and red and yellow lines painted on just about anything; walls, rocks, trees.  The routes start and end in the Historical Center, so add about 0.5 kms to the distances mentioned leaving from Casa do Valle. These are:

Santa Maria, app 1.9 kms and 1 hr
Pena, app 4.5 kms and 1.5 hrs
Castelo, app 4.8 kms and 2 hrs
Seteais, app 3.5kms and 1.5 hrs
Quintas, app 4.3 kms and 2.5 hours

We have small guides in English and French for these routes for you to take along, or you can print them off the Sintra City's site's Tourism section in Portuguese.

Up the cliffs, between Praia Pequena and Praia das Maçãs

The Atlantic Walk goes along the coast from the Western most point of continental Europe, Azoia and Cabo da Roca, all the way to Carvalhal, a total of 27 kms.  This is a great path, and can be easily done in stretches, as access to many of the points on the way is relatively easy with a local bus, such as Cabo da Roca, Almoçagem, Praia Grande, Praia das Maças, Azenhas do Mar, Praia da Aguda, Praia do Magoito and São João das Lampas.  So you can start in many places and plan to go on until you get too tired, or map it out so you divide it in two  or three stretches.  All of the places mentioned above have a choice of restaurants in the villages.  The Sintra coast line is fabulous: rich in flora and high up the cliffs.  The markings along this path are red and white.

The path up from Praia da Adraga toward Praia Grande

Unmarked paths are also great in Sintra.  There are lots of them to explore, from Monserrate to Capuchos, through the villages of Eugaria, Gigarós and Penedo.  Unfortunately there are not lots of maps available - I have a few, and happily will equip you with a copy.  A smart phone with a locator service or compass helps, as well, if you have one.  These paths are fun to explore, and very rewarding, as the scent of pine, eucalyptus and bay leave all together in the humidity of the mountain air is a sensory bomb! 

The views are rewarding from the mountain top

The information center for the Sintra Parks in Santa Maria maintains  updated information regarding the mountain walks and paths that newly opened

Walking in town with the Nordic Walking sticks

No matter what your plan is or how much time you have, walking and hiking around Sintra is rewarding.  Don't forget that we do have massage services available to relax those legs after long walks.