SINTRA - THE PLACE |
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Sintra is an oasis of greenery on the northern face of one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in Portugal. It was chosen as the summer residence of the Kings of Portugal and their Moorish predecessors, and enjoyed a renaissance in popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries when aristocrats, architects, writers, painters, and musicians flocked to its slopes. It has a rich historical past having been occupied since the Stone Age. Its name comes from the Celtic symbol for the moon “cynthia”, the Romans calling it “mons lunae” or Moon Mountain.
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Sintra can boast of a Moorish castle, palaces, grand estates, mansions, and a monastery, and is landscaped with exotic vegetation from around the world. It has a Mediterranean microclimate, which in the summer gives rise to temperatures of 28 degrees, with cooler evenings because of the sea breeze. Its setting provides panoramic views of the coast, which is only c15 minutes taxi ride away or 30 minutes by bus.
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Here the Atlantic provides some of the best surfing beaches in Europe, although in the summer the sea is much calmer, especially south of Sintra on the Estoril coast.
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In short, Sintra is a magnificent centre of history and culture at Europe's most westerly point, with scenic walks for nature lovers, and fine sandy beaches within easy reach. It was made an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
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“An earthly Garden of Eden” Gil Vicente
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“Today is the happiest day of my life. It's the most beautiful thing I've seen. This is the true Klingsor Garden – and high above, there's the Holy Grail Castle.” Richard Strauss
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“The eighth wonder of the world” Armando Dyot
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“The most blessed spot on the whole inhabitable globe” Robert Southey |
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“beauties of every description natural and artificial. Palaces and gardens rising in the midst of rocks, cataracts and precipices, convents on stupendous heights.......the Wildness of the Western Highlands with the verdure of the South of France” Lord Byron (see Child Harold) |
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SINTRA - PRACTICALITIES |
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Sintra has grown up around a series of ravines, the town itself being divided into three main areas.
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The old, Vila Velha, is based around the royal palace and is comprised of a maze of narrow, winding streets. |
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Estefânea is the modern quarter near the train station and offers the cheapest accommodation. |
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São Pedro is a former village where the market takes place on the 2nd and 4th Sunday in the month. |
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The three districts are within c15 minutes walking distance of each other, the pavements being roughly cobbled and sometimes quite steep. Good walking shoes are recommended, plus a jumper for cooler evenings and a small torch for unlit streets at night. There are buses, trams and horse drawn carriages for transport, which are especially helpful to access the sights on the mountain peaks. One needs to be a very skilled driver to negotiate the narrow winding streets of Sintra.
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Lisbon is c45 minutes away by train. The airport is reached by a further 5-10 minute bus or taxi ride. Currently there is no direct train link to the airport because of construction work on the line. Train, bus and taxi fares are cheap.
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SINTRA - PLACES TO EXPLORE |
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Sintra National Palace
Pena National Palace and gardens
Monserrate Palace and gardens
Queluz National Palace
Moorish Castle
Quinta da Regaleira
Capuchos Monastery
Sintra Modern Art Museum
Sintra Toy Museum
Sintra Municipal Art Gallery
Odrinhas Archaeological Museum
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SINTRA - THE CLIMATE |
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Month |
Max (°c) |
Min (°c) |
Rainfall (mm) |
Sunshine (hrs) |
January |
14.5 |
8.2 |
110 |
145 |
February |
15.6 |
9.0 |
111 |
150 |
March |
17.6 |
9.9 |
69 |
205 |
April |
19.1 |
11.1 |
64 |
240 |
May |
21.7 |
13.0 |
39 |
290 |
June |
24.8 |
15.6 |
21 |
305 |
July |
27.4 |
17.4 |
5 |
350 |
August |
27.9 |
17.7 |
6 |
345 |
September |
26.4 |
17.0 |
26 |
260 |
October |
22.4 |
14.6 |
80 |
210 |
November |
17.8 |
11.2 |
114 |
155 |
December |
14.8 |
8.9 |
108 |
140 |
Annually |
20.8 |
12.8 |
751 |
2795 |
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