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Sintra - an enchanting sanctuary on the Portuguese Riviera

View of The Moor Castle on top of a mountain in Sintra, Portugal.

Sintra is an enchanting town at the foothills of Serra de Sintra. It has a magical and mysterious feel about it. Numerous palaces, stunning buildings, surrounded by nature. Full of beautiful views everywhere you look. As we only had an hour to walk around, it was hardly enough time to discover all of Sintra's treasures. We didn't make it to the Moor Castle on top of the hill. Not to mention the famous UNESCO heritage site of Quinta da Regaleira. Quinta means an estate, it's primarily used in the Portuguese-speaking world.  Or even all the other sights. We meandered around the quaint narrow streets as we admired the hillside views. We also sampled some local pastries before heading off to the Praia do Guincho Beach on our way to Cascais.

View of a hidden house in Sintra, Portugal.
A hidden house

View of a building over a terracotta rooftop in Sintra, Portugal.
Rooftop views

Sunlight on the side of a building in Sintra, Portugal.
Light and shadow

A close up of sunlight shining through Maple tree leaves in Sintra.
Maple tree leaves
Despite having very little time to spend in Sintra, I ended up taking a lot of photographs. I have even included some phone captures here. This town is packed with diverse architecture like: Romanesque, Gothic, Neoclassical, Renaissance and Manueline (Portuguese late Gothic). Some of the city's religious buildings date back to the Middle Ages. If and when I visit Portugal again, I will have to explore this historical town once again. Even one day would be better than one hour!

View of buildings and roofs in Sintra, Portugal.
Buildings and roofs

View on an Old Town building in Sintra, Portugal.
Old Town building 

View of colourful buildings on the hillside in Sintra, Portugal.
Colourful buildings 

A brown doorway with plant pots on the hillside in Sintra, Portugal.
Doorway on the hillside
A close up of red Geraniums in front of a building in Sintra.
Geraniums outside Sintra National Palace 

View of a building and red geraniums across from Sintra National Palace.
Building across from Sintra National Palace
Sintra was the holiday destination of choice for six centuries' worth of Portuguese royalty. This explains all the palaces, castles, villas and ornate facades that decorate this mountainside retreat. This town is a real nestled gem, I can only imagine what the views from the castle on top of the mountain would be like.

View of the Town Hall and terracotta rooftops in Sintra.
View of Sintra Town Hall

Colourful buildings in front of the Sao Martinho Church bell tower in Sintra, Portugal.
Sao Martinho Church bell tower

A view of the Sintra Town Hall across the hillside.
Hillside views of Sintra
View of the National Palace of Sintra against a blue sky.
National Palace of Sintra
Close up of red Geraniums along a railing in Sintra, Portugal.
Red Geraniums

View of buildings on Sintra's main square across from the Sintra National Palace.
Main Square in Sintra

View of a hidden building nestled into the hillside in Sintra, Portugal.
Hidden building

Purple Ivy flowers covering a gate and walls in Sintra, Portugal.
Purple Ivy flowers
Portugal is a country I've visited the most in the last few years. I have developed a sweet spot for this beautiful place, as it's full of wonderful scenery and delicious food. I will gladly visit it many more times and keep discovering it's outstanding culture. I hope you've enjoyed these photographs of Sintra from my trip and maybe someday visit it yourself!

View of Sintra Town Hall over a terracotta roof.
Over the rooftops

View of terracotta roofs and trees from a hillside in Sintra.
Hillside views of Sintra

View of the hillside Sintra Boutique Hotel nestled into the trees.
Sintra Boutique Hotel

View of a tiled building under a tree in Sintra, Portugal.
Tiled building under a tree

View of yellow buildings and a black railing in an alley in Sintra, Portugal.
Alley in Sintra
Walking downhill a narrow street in Sintra, Portugal.
Down the hill
View of a building at the top of a set of steps in Sintra, Portugal.
Up the steps
Walking down steps in a narrow street in Sintra, Portugal.
Down the steps
A woman putting out displays outside a shop in Sintra, Portugal.
Shop front in Sintra

View of Sintra over a close up of a terracotta roof.
Terracotta roof
View of Sintra Town Hall through trees on a sunny day.
Sintra through the trees
In the next part of the journey, I will share a few photos I captured as we sailed away from Lisbon. Although I am tempted to interrupt this story with some macro shots I've been taking around my garden over the last couple of months...

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