Last Day in Sintra and Lisbon, Portugal - Day 5

Castelo dos Mouros

On our last day, we had some time in the morning to see the Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors) before heading back to Lisbon. It is a hilltop medieval castle that was built during the 8th century and is also called The Great Wall of Portugal (it looks like a mini version of the Great Wall of China). There is a really nice walk through the forest to get into the main area.

After getting past the main walls, there are flower lined walkways that take you to the outer wall. Walking along the wall is the main draw of the Castelo dos Mouros.

The Castle of the Moors is built on one of the highest points in the area to protect Sintra from attack

The Pena Palace in the distance

The Pena Palace

Back to Lisbon

We left Sintra in a taxi to head back to Lisbon to check into our last hotel for the trip.

This was our last time to walk around and take in the city.

Praca Luis de Camoes

Royale Cafe

Our last dinner was at Royale Cafe. It got a lot of great reviews and definitely did not disappoint. We sat outside in the small patio in the back and got to enjoy our meal with the great weather.

Ponche and a gin and tonic

Bread cheese

Octopus “a Lagareiro”

Black linguini

Our evening stroll while holding hands

And this ends our first trip with Maddox, which I’ve been calling a multi-city, multi-country international trip. We were able to see London, Paris, Lisbon, and Sintra all in one go. Traveling with a baby means you have to make adjustments to your itinerary and accommodations to make sure your baby is entertained and has enough time for rest as well. Luckily we put in a lot of work and planning to make sure our trip went off without a hitch. Definitely looking forward to our next trip!

Sintra, Portugal - Day 4 - Cabo da Roca

Cabo da Roca

After leaving Quinta da Regaleira, we took a short drive to Cabo da Roca. This cape is the westernmost point of mainland Europe and sits about 140 meters above the Atlantic. Up until the late 14th century, Cabo de Roca was believed to be the edge of the world. Other than a lighthouse, a coffee shop and a gift shop, there’s nothing else but cliffs and ocean views.

The stone monument - “Where the land ends and the sea begins”

Heading south from the lighthouse and the stone monument, there are paths that follow the cliffs. It narrows from a wide paved path into small trails that follow the coastline. It can be a bit steep and windy so be sure to watch your step out here.

Sintra, Portugal - Day 4 - Quinta da Regaleira

It was the day of the wedding, but we had some time in the morning to go see what Sintra had to offer. We grabbed a quick breakfast at the resort and headed out to see the Quinta da Regaleira.

Quinta da Regaleira

Quinta da Regaleira is a palace that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is so much to see at this site including lakes, grottos, wells, fountains, gardens, and a palace. The estate sits on about 4 hectares of land that is filled with trees and footpaths.

Fireplace in the dining room

The living room

Portal of the Guardians

Looking down the Initiation Well

The Initiation Wells are two wells that that resemble underground towers. A winding staircase leads down to underground tunnels and the wells were used for secretive initiation ceremonies.

Initiation Well

Initiation Well

The system of tunnels have multiple entry points that connect the lower entrance of the Initiation Well and the Waterfall.

Lake of the Waterfall

Lake of the Waterfall

Lake of the Waterfall

The top of the Unfinished Well

Unfinished Well

Unfinished Well

Unfinished Well

Looking up the Unfinished Well

Regaleira Tower

You can see the Castelo dos Mouros in the distance

Fountain of Regaleira

Traveling with a Baby to Lisbon and Sintra, Portugal - Day 3

On our third day in Portugal, we planned to head to the resort in Sintra where the wedding venue is. We took a short stroll to see the Castelo de Sao George (Saint George Castle) before we left for Sintra.

Rua Augusta - Lisbon’s main pedestrian street with the Arco da Rua Augusta arch in the distance

Wall fountain

Always stop to stare at birds

Castelo de Sao Jorge (Saint George Castle)

The castle is the highest point in Lisbon and has breathtaking vistas over Lisbon. We got there right when they opened to avoid the long lines.

Observation Terrace

Ruins of the former Royal Palace of the Alcaçova

Ruins of the former Royal Palace of the Alcaçova

View from the Praca d’Armas (Main Square)

Castelejo (Inner Castle) with walls dating back to the 11th century

View from a castle window

Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau

Right outside of the castle was a shop famous for bolinhos de bacalhau. Their specialty was a codfish pastry with serra da estrela cheese. It was a bit of a tourist trap and pricey for what you get. Luckily there wasn’t a long line when we went, but I’ve heard the lines can get really long.

Comur - Conserveira de Portugal

Comur was founded in 1942 during WWII making various types of canned fish. You can find shops all over Lisbon with stacks of colorful tinned packaging.

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Penha Longa Resort - Sintra, Portugal

Church

We made it to the Penha Longa Resort in Sintra in the middle of the day. We just browsed around the property to see all the amenities they had on site.

Gardens

View over the church and gardens

Swimming pool

Grabbing a quick lunch at the AQUA restaurant by the pool

Burger

Sea bass kid’s meal

Maddox was break dancing on the bed

Our private balcony

The view from our balcony

Maddox keeping himself busy

Il Mercato - Penha Longa Resort

The rehearsal dinner for the wedding was at the Italian restaurant, Il Mercato, in the resort. The food was fantastic and the view of the garden was amazing. This is normally where breakfast is served and in the evenings it is an Italian themed restaurant.

Bride and groom welcoming everyone

Traveling with a Baby to Lisbon, Portugal - Day 2

Pau de Canela Pastelarias

On our second day in Lisbon, we had a full day to explore Lisbon and some activities planned for the guests of the wedding. We started the day by getting breakfast at a nearby pastry shop.

We took the metro out to see the Padrao dos Descobrimentos and Torre de Belem. Maddox loved riding the subway and going up and down the escalators.

Padrao dos Descobrimentos

The Padrao dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoveries) is a monument on the right on Tagus River. There is a main statue of Henry the Navigator and 33 other figures on both sides from the history of the Portuguese Age of Discovery.

Belem Tower

Torre de Belem (Belem Tower) served as a point for embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers in the 16th century. It was a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. It was classified as a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO. The line was way too long for us to go inside, so we just walked around the outside.

Monumento aos Combatentes do Ultramar

The Monumento aos Combatentes do Ultramar (Monument to Overseas Combatants) is just a short walk away from the Belem Tower. It is a war memorial dedicated to the soldiers of the Portuguese army who lost their lives during the Overseas War of 1961 to 1974.

Jardim da Torre de Belem

We found a bench in the Belem Tower Garden to relax and let Maddox stretch his legs.

Time Out Market

On our way back, we stopped at Time Out Market to grab a quick bite to eat. This time for a quick burger before we met with the bride and groom for a tour of the city.

Tram 28 Tour

The bride and groom set up a private tram tour on the famous Tram 28 line. This tour lasted for about 2 hours and passed through the most popular tourist districts of Lisbon.

LX Factory

LX Factory is the site of an old fabric production plant that has now been turned into a space with more than 50 restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. It is like an outdoor mall with art installations throughout the grounds.

Stopped for a quick drink before dinner.

1300 Taberna

It was a long day for Maddox