Sintra and its Charming Palaces, Castles and Water Fountains, Sintra, Portugal

Located in the hills of Serra de Sintra, Sintra is home to palaces, fairy-tale castles, castle ruins, water fountains and villas that belonged to Royalty and aristocracy. It is also one of the most visited spots in Portugal with millions of visitors flocking here to explore its beautiful castles, never mind the season.

Thus, one morning I arrived early on the train from Lisbon to explore this charming little city. My timed entry into Pena Palace, Sintra’s star attraction, was for 10.15 am, which gave me plenty of time to make quick stops before arriving at my destination. I decided to take my own private transport for two reasons - it gave me the freedom to stop wherever I wanted and secondly, I did not have to wait for the bus, which, going by the milling crowds, was going to pose challenges.

Alfonso, my driver, an immigrant from Argentina was a keen conversationalist and despite our differences in language (I speak no Spanish to save my life), we managed a decent flow of conversation.

It was he who told me how and why celebrities chose to live in Sintra and the significance of water fountains dotting the city.

Alfonso drove up to an ancient water fountain which appeared quite popular - with its back wall capped by a large baroque gable emblazoned with a yellow sun disk. It was distinctly ancient. Named the Sabuga, the waters here have been renowned for centuries for their healing properties. It is said that the fountain has been in existence since the Middle Ages and finds a mention in literature dating 14th century, although what we see today dates to the 18th century, having replaced the earlier one destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).