SINTRA || Is the Castle of Pena Really the Wonderland We've All Been Dreaming Of?
Search for photos of Sintra online, and you're bound to be treated to photos of the bright, colourful Castle of Pena.
The last time I visited Portugal, I only had time to visit Lisbon and Porto, so this time I was looking forward to witnessing the fairytale in person.
As usual, when word gets out that there is a fairytale on earth, many other people are also vying to see the same wonders of the world, so be realistic about enduring long lineups!
Just around the corner from the train station is the National Palace of Sintra.
Once you make it to the Sintra train station, many drivers will ask if you'd like them to take you up to the castle for a "deal" -- just 15 euros they say. We didn't inquire further, but we had an inkling that it was 15 euros per person.
An insider tip here is to call an Uber; even with the Uber XL option it only cost us less than 7 euros for five people. Otherwise, you could hike the winding roads up to the castle, but the walk will take you over an hour. There are sights to see along the walk up the mountain, like historical monuments and a whimsical garden, but with my parents and my 8-year-old niece in tow, it didn't seem like a viable option.
Once we arrived at the castle, there was first a line up to enter the gardens and then a hike up to the castle. You could purchase a ticket to skip the walk up to the castle, but if you’ve already endured a few days of daily hikes up and down Lisbon’s steep and winding cobblestoned roads, then you’ll have no problem with a few minutes walk up to the castle.
Upon arriving at the castle entrance, you'll see a long lineup snaking up the cobblestoned path. You could use this time to take in the views of the lush forest on the surrounding hills, a faint mist covering the hilltops.
The lineup winding up and up and up.
Glimpses of the lineup snaking up to the castle from above.
Since the lineup moves slowly you can also take some photos of the towering castle; another thing to note is that entry to the castle is by time slots, and it takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get to the front of the line, so make sure you don't miss your entry time window!
Around every corner just when you thought the lineup was ending, you see another lengthy extension of the lineup as you round the corner. This is to be expected though, especially with a popular tourist destination like the Castle of Pena.
A view of the castle grounds from above.
Not a bad spot to bask in the sunshine with a view of the surrounding lush forest.
Once inside, you wander through the various rooms featuring historical relics and artifacts, intricately crafted pieces worth committing to memory if you're a fan of art and design. One of our favourite pieces was the jade storage cabinet; delicate and majestic, it's in a category of its own, with awe-inspiring craftsmanship that has been attentively preserved to this day.
After venturing through the beautifully furnished rooms decorated with ornate items, you can breeze along the skywalk, where the wind gusts will blow your hair back, and you feel as though you're the castle's owner setting their sights on the horizon.
One of the rooms in the castle.
An ornate table setting in the castle.
We imagine this would have been a lovely spot to enjoy afternoon tea.
After you visit the castle, you should stroll through the old town of Sintra where you’ll find plenty of food and shopping options from gelato to quaint cafes and shops. We opted to end our visit to Sintra on a high note with a creamy gelato before hopping on the train back to Lisbon.
Was it really the fairytale dreamland that it's made out to be in online photos? My photos portray the scenes as they are; while they aren't published as is straight out of the camera, they have only been edited slightly for clarity and lighting. I want to share a realistic and not a filtered perspective with those of you who intend to make the trip. I hope this photo collection shows you a glimpse of Sintra you haven't seen before and sets the right expectations of what you could look forward to.
View from the skywalk.
Photography by Florence Leung
