Up, up and above Sintra and Cascais!

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When I think of visiting Sintra, I immediately think of walking & hiking, taking the horse & carriage, maybe even the old tram.  Recently however, I have seen Sintra in two very different ways: both from above.

The first was the Sintra Canopy, or the local zip-line.  13 stops, 11 zips and a draw bridge.
The trip starts between the entrances of Pena Palace and Moorish Castle, and then zig zags across the valley to the other end of the Moorish Castle. Fantastic views and a whole lot of fun!  I went with two other ladies and we were very well instructed.  Two of us had never done anything like this before.  Mind you, I don't go to the edge of a high balcony, and now I volunteered to stand on a 2x2 m platform 30 m above ground, feeling the tree on which the platform was suspended sway slightly in the wind.   But I felt safe all the time, well looked after.  There were two instructors with us all the time.  One in the front, one in the back.


 And while we were on the platforms, we were told a lot about the trees, the forestation, the other plants around, the views, all that we saw and wanted to know.  All of this not only contributed to the general knowledge but also kept us focused and calm.   I loved the experience and highly recommend it! It was 29 euros and took roughly 2 hours. You can see more about this great activity through these links.

https://www.facebook.com/SintraCanopy?fref=ts
http://www.parquesdesintra.pt/



Approaching Cabo da Roca
My other up-up-and-above experience was in a small two seater aeroplane.   Taking off from the small Tires airport in Cascais, João, the pilot flew me over Cascais and above the coast line all the way to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of Continental Europe before turning back.  The beaches of Carcavelos, Estoril and Cascais, the marinas of Oeiras and Cascais, the cities and villages and the the Sintra mountain looked neatly together from above!  João was a confident pilot and I was able to relax and enjoy all of the time.  Due to Sintra military base you cannot fly over Sintra town, but the coast line in itself was already spectacular!  The trip took about a half an hour, and cost 85 euros.  There is a plane for 4ppl as well (3+pilot) and it gets cheaper the more you are.



Glad that there are new attractions and things to do!  Sintra and the region are attracting more and more people with varied intrests.  It's not just for history and culture anymore!

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