Lisbon: Excursion to Sintra

I have repeatedly said on this blog how this Lisbon trip was an attempt to visit spots that we missed on our first visit and on the afternoon of day 3, we checked one off our miss-it list by taking an afternoon excursion to Sintra.

Sintra is synonymous to the palace that everyone sees online. I thought that Sintra was the palace, I was wrong. Sintra is a charming and picturesque resort town that is set amidst pine-covered hills of Serra de Sintra. The town is around 30 minutes drive away and easily doable from Lisbon.

While we could have set up a private tour by hiring a private taxi, we chose to do a bus tour from Yellow Bus instead.

From the Tile Museum, we stopped at Praca do Commercio where the meeting place for the bus tour would be. Having arrived early for the meet up, we explored the square again. This time under full sunlight, which was really wonderful. There was a makeshift bazaar in the square, probably in connection with 25 de Abril holiday celebration. Other signs that there was celebration and program in the square were people tearing down a stage in the middle of the park.

Excited and anxious not to miss the tour, we went to the Yellow Bus tour kiosk at one end of the square. A smattering of people have already congregated around the kiosk signalling we were at the right place. And as the time for departure nears, it was looking more and more like this was going to be a full bus.

Evelyn our tour guide arrived on time and got us lined up double file to the bus, which was parked two blocks away. I don't know how it happened but we got the front seats behind the driver. And thankfully, we were traveling after lunch because all the road closures for the parade in the morning all have been opened to traffic.

The drive was pretty scenic and short. In Sintra village itself, it was a bit difficult to maneuver, narrow streets and many cars and buses and lots of pedestrians, especially during the ascent to the hilltop Pena Palace.

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We spotted the Castle of the Moors.

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And then the palace.

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OUR WORLD TUESDAY

To be continued.........

Comments

  1. Wow, you saw far more of Lisbon on your bus ride than we did on ours. I don't remember seeing the Castle of the Moors, for instance, and that is exactly the kind of castle I loved to see whenever we visited Europe...built high on a hill for easier fortification and protection. Your photos are all wonderful, however...thanks for sharing!
    Kay
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  2. Thanks for taking me along on your scenic bus trip!

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  3. It is well worth the jouney from Lisbon.

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  4. cool. that is one colorful palace :)

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  5. I love the whole area of Sintra! So beautiful.

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  6. Hi! The castle site and the palace are very beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

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  7. Such beautiful and majestic type building ~ lovely photos ~

    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  8. Great tour! Love to see some more of Lisabon. Just stayed for one night when travelling to Brasil. Happy weekend ahead!

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  9. That's a good way to see the city, I love the colourful buildings too.

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  10. Ah! those red roofs. What a lovely sight.
    And the leaders on the balcony make you look at them a second time. :)

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