7 Monuments You Must Visit in Sintra (Ranked by Our Guides)
Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape, not a single monument: a granite mountain above the Atlantic, covered in forest, with palaces, a castle and a handful of estates scattered across it. That is what makes it so rewarding, and also what makes a first visit confusing. There are more monuments than anyone can…
10 Portuguese Delicacies You Can’t Miss in Lisbon and Sintra
Portuguese food is built on a few very good ingredients cooked without fuss: salt cod, sardines, pork, bread, olive oil, eggs and a great deal of sugar. The problem for a visitor is not finding it, it is that there is more of it than one stomach can hold in a week. These are the…
10 Best Viewpoints in Lisbon You Can’t Miss
Lisbon is built on hills, seven by tradition and more in reality, and every hill has at least one miradouro, a viewpoint with a terrace, a few benches and usually a kiosk selling coffee and beer. They are free, they are where locals go at the end of the day, and they are the best…
Lisbon 3-Day Itinerary: Old City, Belém and a Day in Sintra
Three days is the right amount of time for Lisbon. It is enough for the old city, for Belém, and for one day out of town, without the trip turning into a checklist. This is the itinerary we suggest to guests who ask, built the way we plan our own tours: one neighbourhood cluster per half-day, walking downhill rather than up, and the day trip on day two so you are not tired for it. We have added where to eat and the practical details that matter (which things need booking, what closes on Mondays). Day 1: the old city, from the castle down to the river Morning: Alfama and the castle Start at São Jorge Castle when it opens, before the crowds, for the view over the whole city. Walk down through Alfama, the oldest neighbourhood, past the Santa…