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Best Things to Do in Sintra: The Fairy-tale Pena Palace

Pena palace view - colorful castle

Written by Lucy

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Portugal

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April 3, 2022

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Have you ever been to Sintra? No?! So, it is time to add Sintra to your list when planning a trip to Portugal. It is such a fantastic place where you can create unforgettable memories of your Portugal holiday, and you won’t regret spending a day or two here. This town is an absolute must when you are in Lisbon and the perfect one-day trip in the area.

In the article below, I will show you one of the unmissable places in Sintra – the fairy-tale Pena Palace. If you want to make most of your day trip to Sintra or if you have limited time, head to this amazing palace first. It is a must-visit attraction and one of the most beautiful places here. It is different, colorful, with interesting architecture and stunning views of the area that will impress you. Maybe because of that, it is the most famous palace in Sintra. Check below why Pena Palace is a must-visit attraction in Sintra and find your reasons for visiting.

Table of Contents

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  • National Palace of Pena – a must-visit attraction in Sintra
  • Palacio da Pena history
  • Explore Pena Palace Park
  • The fairy-tale Pena Palace
  • Pena Palace opening hours and tickets

National Palace of Pena – a must-visit attraction in Sintra

Last October, I was on holiday in Lisbon with my travel buddy. But after exploring the capital of Portugal, we decided to take a trip to the region. I have heard and read about this beautiful village near Lisbon, but I didn’t expect Sintra to be so impressive. Absolutely there is a reason why Sintra is the best day trip from Lisbon.

Pena palace far view

On our one-day trip to Sintra, the first stop was Pena Palace and Park. When we arrived in Sintra, we took the Scotturb bus 434 from the railway station and stopped at the main entrance at around 11 am. (Yes, this is too late to start a tour of Sintra because there are so many fantastic places that need your attention. But our delay was because of the national rail workers’ strike on that day.) So I recommend you: Be in Sintra early and start your tour around 9 am before the crowds arrive. It can get busy here, so avoid the peak times. You can also use the hop-on hop-off buses, Tuk-tuk, or taxis to travel between the sights.

If you want to save time and skip the queue, buy your tickets online in advance. It is so convenient to walk right into the entrance. But I admit we didn’t buy our tickets for Pena Palace online. However, this time we had luck. We waited only 10 minutes to buy our tickets and enter the palace.

When you enter the gates, you have to climb a steep hill to the palace. Or you can use the paid transport service (every 15 minutes for 3 EUR) between the main entrance and the castle. We decided to walk along the alleys through the surrounding lush forest. In around 15 minutes, we saw a fantastic view – the bright colors of the fairy-tale Pena Palace – these red and yellow towers hidden in the forest. Honestly, I stopped every 10 meters to take photos of this colorful palace. There are so many fantastic corners to explore. OK, you can be faster than me and go straight forward to explore the castle. It took us around 2 hours to explore it, but we were also in a hurry to visit the other sights of Sintra and didn’t have a lot of time to explore the park thoroughly.

Pena palace castle view from the park

Palacio da Pena history

The history of this magic site dates back to medieval times (12th century) when there was a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena here. Then, in the 16th century, King Manuel donated the monastery to the Order of the Hieronymites. But the earthquake of Lisbon in 1755 almost destroyed it. The monastery was still active until 1834 when it was abandoned.

Pena palace Sintra - royal room

In 1836 Queen Maria II married Ferdinand II of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (King-consort). He had a thorough education in the arts and was known as the King-Artist for his activities. He was impressed with Sintra and decided to restore the building as a royal family’s summer residence, finally turning it into a palace. You will see architectural structures of Manueline and Moorish influences, parapet paths, lookout towers, an access tunnel, own drawbridge. After Queen Maria II died in 1853, Ferdinand married the Countess of Edla, who played a key role in designing the interior.

Pena palace Sintra - royal telephone room

The last Portuguese kings who lived here were Carlos I and Queen Amelia, and their son Manuel II. In 1890 the Park and Palace of Pena were acquired by the State. After the republic’s founding in 1910, the palace was classified as a National Monument and turned into a museum. It is part of the Cultural Landscape of Sintra, classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage in 1995. Now Parques de Sintra maintains Pena Palace and works on conserving this heritage.

Explore Pena Palace Park

For visiting this Sinta attraction, you can choose between 2 different tickets. The first one includes the outside of the castle and the park. The second allows you to enter inside. We bought the combined ticket, and I think it’s worth going inside to see the royal rooms as well.

Pena palace Sintra park

Outside Pena Palace’s grounds are perfect for walking on a hot summer day – so shady and cool. In this beautiful nature, you will find lovely alleys, lookout points, duck ponds, exotic plants, and enjoy the lovely trees and flowers on your way to the palace. In the park, you will find historic gardens and buildings between the wild nature – Saint Catherine’s Heights, the Fountain of the Small Birds, the Grotto of the Monk, the Queen’s Fern Valley, the Valley of the Lakes, the Chalet of the Countess of Edla. Hike to the park’s highest point, the Cruz Alta (High Cross 529m), for an incredible view of the surroundings.

Pena palace view of Moorish castle

At the ticket shop, download the map of Pena Palace – it will save you time indicating the main landmarks if you decide to explore the park. But honestly, if you have only one day in Sintra, you won’t have much time to explore the gardens thoroughly (even if you speed through the palace). 

The fairy-tale Pena Palace

Let me show you why the fairy-tale Pena Palace is a must-visit attraction on a day trip to Sintra. 

Once you get to the palace, prepare your camera. It’s hard to know where to look. The colors, details, and archways are fascinating, and everything needs your attention. I recommend you explore the palace outside first. So you can take some fantastic photos before the crowds arrive (as you see, I couldn’t manage it this way). Explore the towers and terraces and admire these breathtaking views.

Pena palace colorful castle with red and yellow towers

I admit I can’t decide which is my favorite spot of this palace – one of the finest examples of 19th century Portuguese Romanticism. I love the terrace with the yellow arches and the area’s stunning views. Here you will also see the clock tower and the wall of blue tiles. You may like the view of the Castle of the Moors, too.

View from a Pena Palace terrace with yellow archways.

Or the Queen’s terrace where you can observe the palace. Or the Manueline Cloister’s original part of the 16th century monastery, decorated with tiles.

Check also the main terrace with the Triton gateway and the Main facade with tiles (Moorish style).

Pena palace facade with tiles

After we were done exploring the palace outside, we headed to the royal rooms. The interior of the Palace of Pena is fascinating and worth visiting. 

Pena palace Sintra - royal dining room decoration

There are many rooms, and there are no 2 rooms that are alike. However, I love the dining room decoration, the window views of the town below, and the impressive ceilings. Oh, yes, ceilings are one of the first things I look at when entering a room/building.

Pena palace Sintra - royal room - ceiling decoration

Pena Palace opening hours and tickets

Park – 9.00 am – 7 pm

Palace – 9.30 am – 6.30 pm

You can choose between 2 different tickets – for Palace and Park combined and park only. There are also ticket machines in front of the palace next to the ticket office. But better buy your tickets in advance online and avoid the queues.

Are you done exploring Palacio da Pena? Then it is time to go to the other impressive sights of Sintra.

So, do you think this fairy-tale Palace of Pena could be considered a must-visit attraction in Sintra?  

Share with me in the comments below.

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Pena Palace and Park
Pena Palace and Park
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