Sintra

Last Day in Sintra and Lisbon, Portugal - Day 5

Castelo dos Mouros

Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish

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.

DSCF0746.jpgSintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish

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.

Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
The Castle of the Moors is built on one of the highest points in the area to protect Sintra from attack

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

Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
The Pena Palace in the distance

The Pena Palace in the distance

Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
The Pena Palace

The Pena Palace

Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish
Sintra portugal Castelo dos Mouros medieval castle of moors moorish

Back to Lisbon

Sintra portugal lisbon taxi

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

lisbon portugal hotel room nap
lisbon portugal hotel room nap
lisbon portugal

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

lisbon portugal tram trolley
lisbon portugal tram trolley
Praca Luis de Camoes

Praca Luis de Camoes

Royale Cafe

lisbon portugal 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.

lisbon portugal royale cafe
lisbon portugal royale cafe
lisbon portugal royale cafe
Ponche and a gin and tonic

Ponche and a gin and tonic

Bread cheese

Bread cheese

Octopus “a Lagareiro”

Octopus “a Lagareiro”

Black linguini

Black linguini

lisbon portugal royale cafe
lisbon portugal royale cafe
lisbon portugal royale cafe
lisbon portugal
Our evening stroll while holding hands

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

sintra portugal cape 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.

sintra portugal cape cabo da roca
sintra portugal cape cabo da roca
The stone monument - “Where the land ends and the sea begins”

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

sintra portugal cape cabo da roca
sintra portugal cape cabo da roca
sintra portugal cape cabo da roca
sintra portugal cape cabo da roca

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 cape cabo da roca
sintra portugal cape cabo da roca
sintra portugal cape cabo da roca
sintra portugal cape cabo da roca
sintra portugal cape cabo da roca

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.

sintra portugal penha longa resort breakfast
sintra portugal penha longa resort breakfast

Quinta da Regaleira

sintra portugal quinta da regaleira palace

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.

sintra portugal quinta da regaleira palace
Fireplace in the dining room

Fireplace in the dining room

sintra portugal quinta da regaleira palace
sintra portugal quinta da regaleira palace
The living room

The living room

sintra portugal quinta da regaleira palace
sintra portugal quinta da regaleira palace
sintra portugal quinta da regaleira palace
sintra portugal quinta da regaleira palace
Portal of the Guardians

Portal of the Guardians

sintra portugal Quinta da Regaleira
Looking down the Initiation Well

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

Initiation Well

Initiation Well

sintra portugal Quinta da Regaleira initiation well tunnels labyrinth
sintra portugal Quinta da Regaleira initiation well tunnels labyrinth

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

Lake of the Waterfall

Lake of the Waterfall

Lake of the Waterfall

sintra portugal Quinta da Regaleira
The top of the Unfinished Well

The top of the Unfinished Well

Unfinished Well

Unfinished Well

Unfinished Well

Unfinished Well

Unfinished Well

Unfinished Well

Looking up the Unfinished Well

Looking up the Unfinished Well

Regaleira Tower

Regaleira Tower

You can see the Castelo dos Mouros in the distance

You can see the Castelo dos Mouros in the distance

Fountain of Regaleira

Fountain of Regaleira

sintra portugal quinta da regaleira
sintra portugal quinta da regaleira
sintra portugal quinta da 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.

lisbon portugal international travel with baby fedora
lisbon portugal international travel with baby fedora
Rua Augusta - Lisbon’s main pedestrian street with the Arco da Rua Augusta arch in the distance

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

Wall fountain

Wall fountain

Always stop to stare at birds

Always stop to stare at birds

lisbon portugal international travel with baby

Castelo de Sao Jorge (Saint George Castle)

lisbon portugal international travel with baby castelo de st jorge

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

Observation Terrace

lisbon portugal international travel with baby castelo de st jorge
lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge
lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge
lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge
lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge
Ruins of the former Royal Palace of the Alcaçova

Ruins of the former Royal Palace of the Alcaçova

Ruins of the former Royal Palace of the Alcaçova

Ruins of the former Royal Palace of the Alcaçova

lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge
lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge
lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge
View from the Praca d’Armas (Main Square)

View from the Praca d’Armas (Main Square)

lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge
Castelejo (Inner Castle) with walls dating back to the 11th century

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

lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge
lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge
lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge
lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge
lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge
View from a castle window

View from a castle window

lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge
lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge

Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau

lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau
lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge 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.

lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau

Comur - Conserveira de Portugal

lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge 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.

lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge Comur conserveira de portugal

Penha Longa Resort - Sintra, Portugal

Church

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

Gardens

View over the church and gardens

View over the church and gardens

Swimming pool

Swimming pool

Grabbing a quick lunch at the AQUA restaurant by the pool

Grabbing a quick lunch at the AQUA restaurant by the pool

Burger

Burger

Sea bass kid’s meal

Sea bass kid’s meal

sintra portugal penha longa resort
sintra portugal penha longa resort swimming pool
sintra portugal penha longa resort swimming pool
Maddox was break dancing on the bed

Maddox was break dancing on the bed

sintra portugal penha longa resort room
sintra portugal penha longa resort room crib view
Our private balcony

Our private balcony

The view from our balcony

The view from our balcony

Maddox keeping himself busy

Maddox keeping himself busy

Il Mercato - Penha Longa Resort

sintra portugal penha longa resort dinner

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.

sintra portugal penha longa resort dinner
sintra portugal penha longa resort dinner
sintra portugal penha longa resort dinner
sintra portugal penha longa resort dinner
sintra portugal penha longa resort dinner
Bride and groom welcoming everyone

Bride and groom welcoming everyone

sintra portugal penha longa resort dinner