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Day 1: Lisbon
- Parque Eduardo VII
- Castelo de São Jorge
- Praça do Comércio
- Torre de Belém
Arrived by plane into Lisbon, took the metro into the city (30 minutes). Room was ready, so we took a quick nap before heading to Parque Eduardo VII. Relied on public transportation for longer stretches but walked a lot. Very nice view looking down the nicely-designed bushes all the way to the water.
Then on to Castelo de Sao Jorge – I love walking the walls and the view overlooking Lisbon.
Walked around Praca do Comercio (one of the main squares) and just wandered down the streets. Very walkable city. We went to Torre Belem in the evening, more great views of the ocean and city. Even though it was January I was fine in a hoodie, but did have gloves and a stocking cap.
Day 2: Sintra
- Castelo dos Mouros
- National Palace of Pena
- Quinta da Regaleira
Took the train to Sintra, which is basically a city of castles. Each of them are unique and we first caught a bus up to the Castelo dos Mouros. Love the views from up there and the way the castle walls sprawl the mountainside. Very awesome to walk around.
Walked to Pena Palace, went in and walked the grounds. If you only have the time to do one, definitely do Castelo dos Mouros as Pena looks cooler from the outside.
Pena Palace as seen from Castelo dos Mouros 
Pena Palace up close
Then went down to one of my favorite places in the world, Quinta Da Regaleira. The underground tunnels, hidden monuments, and wells all throughout the property are simply spectacular and it’s really like a fantasy world. You never know if you’re going to pop out of a tunnel at a hidden tennis court in the middle of the woods, the bottom of a well, a stone path leading across water, or something else.
Took the train back to Lisbon for dinner and flew out the next day.
If you’re in Lisbon, I would say a day trip to Sintra is an absolute must-do. Less than 45 minutes away by train and very cheap. Lisbon is a great city as well, and coupled with Sintra makes it one of my favorite destinations.
Traveled in January 2011
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