Sintra historic centre

Sintra, Portugal

The town centre home to the National Palace and historic pastry shops.

Places in Sintra historic centre

Lawrence's Restaurant Set in Portugal's oldest hotel (1764), maintaining historic elegance with mountain views.
Historic pastry shops Shops serving secret recipes since the 1860s, famous for travesseiros and queijadas.
Sintra historic centre cafes Cafes throughout the centre, ideal for pastries between palace visits.
Valverde Sintra Palácio de Seteais bar A bar within an 18th-century palace transformed into a hotel, decorated with frescoes and chandeliers.

Best time to visit: April to June and September to October offer comfortable weather for climbing between the hilltop palaces without peak summer crowds.
Getting around: Sintra's town centre is walkable, though a bus, tuk-tuk, or car is typically needed to reach the hilltop palaces scattered around the surrounding hills.
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Language: Portuguese. English is widely spoken.
Timezone: WET (UTC+0, UTC+1 in summer)
Current trends: Sintra's dining scene continues to bridge historic pastry shops famous for travesseiros and queijadas with Michelin-starred restaurants hidden within the town's luxury resort hotels.

Pena Palace hill — The hilltop area surrounding Sintra's most iconic and colourful palace.
Quinta da Regaleira area — The estate surrounding Sintra's most mysterious landmark, with its symbolic gardens and underground tunnels.