CASA DO VALLE

Hiking in Sintra and its surroundings is wonderful. Though the most sought after trails are the ones that lead us to the monuments, there are paths for everyone's interests and capabilities. The hiking trails to the monuments avoid the roads and motorized traffic.  Some access-paths are signposted, other paths are marked with the international hiking signs, some are not marked at all, as they pass in the Natural Park of Sintra-Cascais and even through private grounds. The main areas for hiking are the mountain and Sintra village, the coast and the countryside. There are paths everywhere!  You may want your hike to be circular, where you leave from and arrive to the same spot.  Or you may prefer walking along a linear path, using a local bus or a taxi or the old Sintra tram to return.  You can make your hike short or long, passing by villages or beaches - or simply stay in areas where you are not likely to see anyone else.  Not used to off road w...

We get a lot of questions about the weather from our guests before their arrival: Will it rain in May/February/November…? Will the weather be warm enough to eat outside in the evening? What are the coolest temperatures we can expect? Do we need air-conditioning? As much as we want to answer all of these questions sincerely, not only is it difficult because of climate change, but many of these questions are in fact very subjective in nature. Traditionally, our summers are warm and dry and winters cooler and humid. Traditionally.   With the climate change however, there are some slight changes in the temperatures and rain fall.   What has not changed is the ABUNDANCE OF LIGHT AND SUNSHINE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR . There is a special light even in the rain! It is very, very rare, even in the coldest months, for the temperature to get close to freezing, let alone below freezing temperatures.   So no snow or frost is to be expected at any given month. ...

Summer has finally arrived, with temperatures over 30ºC in the afternoons! The temperature rise coincides with the holiday period of the southern Europeans, which means that crowds will be thicker. We have many suggestions for you to make your visit in Sintra more enjoyable! Here are some of them.  Remember that more will appear, and we will keep you posted through Facebook, and of course the information board at the reception. First of all, Sintra is full of fabulous historically and culturally important monuments and most of them are well visited.  There are also some that are less famous but equally interesting.  Do you really want to see them all? Is Pena Palace really what you want to see is its fairy-tale park what you were imagining? Are you more interested in walking in the nature than seeing art? Choose well where you want to go and let us help you if you are not sure what Sintra has to offer - believe me, it's a wide variety of things.  That is one of...

To start our outdoor activities at Casa do Valle this summer are Yoga classes!  Starting the 25th of July (and continuing on all Wednesday afternoons at 530 pm), Cátia Pereira will lead us to relaxation after a busy day out, preparing for a good night sleep in a rested body. Cátia is a 'lisboeta', meaning born in Lisbon. She enjoys teaching yoga with a focus on breathing techniques and mindfulness.  She was certified in India, having traveled to Thailand and Australia, where she took wellness training courses, including massage therapies such as Ayurvedic massage, Thai massage and reflexology. Cátia believes cultivating yoga is a profound body, mind and soul expression, while the Universe and the alignments of the planets and stars influence each one of us. She teaches Hatha, Vinyasa flow,  yoga Nidra, and Meditation and also leads meditative walks. Other activities to start in the beginning of August are special massage days and guided hikes, such as walks to th...

This spring and beginning of summer, the question we have answered the most to our guests is 'What's with the weather?' Or 'Is this weather normal here this time of the year?' Mostly we answer 'No, it's not normal' or 'Well, there is really nothing we can do about it'. It really has been much colder and wetter than 'normal'. In March it rained 4 times the normal average amount, and it was the second coldest March in the history of Portugal (since the measurements begun). It HAS been cold.  It HAS rained a lot. Yes, we still have heaters on in the rooms in JUNE! Unheard of! But it is not raining continuously. Luckily it is nothing you cannot cope with, with a coat or a sweater. As we are entering the month when summer officially begins, we keep hoping that the morning shower of each day will be the last one. And we also keep hoping that the fall will be like last year - beautiful weather until the end of November! To me the wea...

For a nicer, friendlier and safer place for residents and tourists alike, new traffic regulations are in place in Sintra to stop the huge volume of cars. The Historic Center is now almost car-free. Many streets were changed to one-ways, and the traffic in many of them has been restricted to authorized vehicles only.  Who is authorized? Residents – up to two cars are allowed by residence to get a permit to circulate and park in the historic centre. Business owners – up to three cars are allowed to get a permit to circulate and park in the historic centre. Special Permit owners: there are two types of special permits – circulation only and circulation and parking. Circulation only is meant for those who for instance drop their children off to school in the restricted area.   Circulation and parking permit, or ‘Do not disturb’ is a permit for those who want to drive to and park in this area. Each accommodation can request a limited number of these perm...

Thinking of whether to bring a car to Sintra? Think well before you do.  Here are a few things for your consideration: The most visited monument in Portugal is the Pena Palace on the Sintra mountain, in  the middle of Sintra-Cascais Natural Park.  The Moorish Castle is right next to it, and the National Palace and Quinta da Regaleira are in the Historical Center of Sintra.  These 4 monuments alone have an average of 3.000.000 visitors a year. The Historic Center of Sintra is like any other Historic Center - narrow streets, many one-way streets, almost no parking and LOTS of tourists on foot, in busses, in their own cars. Only, unlike most Historic Centers, Sintra is not closed for traffic. Yet. And most rental cars are with manual gears. In the summer months people spend up to 2 hours in a queue during the last few kilometers to get to Sintra or passing through it.  Add to the normal chaos, the works in the water lines that the City Hall is doing during ...