Sintra, Cascais and Estoril – 08 Hour
This tour takes us to meet one of the most romantic villages of Portugal. Its history and its charm
makes Sintra a unique place.
Meeting with your private guide at hotel lobby. Drive direct to Sintra (roughly half an hour). Our
visit will star with Pena Palace.
This palace is the most accomplished and remarkable example of Portuguese Romantic architecture. Built at approximately 500 metres above sea level, it goes back to 1839, when the prince consort D.
Fernando II of Saxe-Coburg (1816-1885) bought the ruins of the Hieronymus Monastery of Our Lady of Pena and began to make it into a small palace. To oversee the work, he called Baron Eschwege, whose inspiration for this remarkable edifice came from palaces in Bavaria. Extremely fanciful, Pena’s architecture uses not only Moorish, Gothic and Manueline motifs, but also the Wagnerian spirit of Central Europe’s, Schinkel castles. Crowning the Serra de Sintra, as if it were a harmonious prolongation of the range itself, the picturesque and also fantastic Palace of Pena cannot help impressing the visitor. This supreme example of Portuguese romantic
architecture is due to the magic materialisation of the dreams of a Prince of Bavaria, Ferdinand of Saxe Coburg-Gotha, husband of Queen Maria II. In 1839 he bought the ruins of the former Monastery of Nossa Senhora da Pena, built in 1503; he developed and enlarged them, with the collaboration of the Prussian engineer Ludwig von Eschwege, to achieve an extremely sensitive creation. Of note inside the Palace are the Renaissance retable by Nicolau Chanterenne (1529- 1532), the exotic, richly worked furniture and the whole romantic atmosphere par excellence.
Apart from its historical and museological importance, the Palace is host to concerts of classical
music, exhibitions and historical plays.
After this visit your guide will take you in directions of Sintra town centre. Where you will visit
the Sintra National Palace.
Made up of various constructions built over successive eras, it is one of the most important Portuguese examples of royal architecture and has therefore been classified as a National Monument. This palace is thought to have been originally a palace of the Moorish walls. Its current layout results from two phases of building works: the first one, in the reign of King John I (15th century), and the second in that of D. Manuel I (16th century). It has the greatest collection of Mudéjar tiles in the country. It is topped by two large twin chimneys built over the kitchen, which have become the symbol of Sintra.
After the visit of the Palace free time.
Drive across the luxuriant Sintra Mountain and its gardens by twisted roads bordered by several plants, its mystical hills dotted with fairytale palaces and extravagant villas that have bewitched visitors for centuries, in direction to Cabo da Roca, (the western most point of continental
Europe, a promontory of Sintra Mountain, a granite cliff 144mts high) for a fantastic view of
the seaside.
Continue by the seaside with rocky and sandy beaches and the picturesque cliff – the Mouth of
Hell – where high waves crash into gigantic caves carved out of the rock by the sea.
Stop at Cascais fishing port swiftly expanded to an elegant, cosmopolitan, coastal resort. Once
stop of navigators like Columbus and Vasco da Gama. From the harbour there's a nice view of
Estoril bay, the marina and Cascais fortress.
Driving through the seashore of Tagus river in direction of Estoril.
The Estoril coast, incorporating holiday hotspots offers great beaches and a choice of historic sights. Cosmopolitan seaside town of Carcavelos is popular for its long stretch of sandy beach and its XVII century fortress – The Biggest in Tagus River.
Entrance Fees included: Vila and Pena Palaces
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