Sintra Introduction Walking Tour, Sintra

Sintra Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Sintra

Traces of humanity in Sintra date back to Paleolithic times. At an open air site near the church of Sao Pedro de Canaferrim and the Moorish Castle there were found ceramics from 5,000 BC. The name Sintra is indo-European. It means "bright star" or "sun." Romans called the place "sacred mountain." Ptolemy called it "mountains of the moon."

In 1147 the Moorish Castle (Castelo dos Mouros) surrendered to Afonso Henriques. Afonso commenced building Christian churches. The church of Saint Peter of Canaferrim was established within the walls of the Castle. Throughout the 12th and 13th centuries convents, monasteries, and the military built residences, estates and mills.

In 1287 King Dinis ceded the town to Queen Elizabeth of Portugal. The town remained a possession of the Queen of Portugal until 1383. King Edward described the region in 1435 as "A land of good air and water." Sintra has been the refuge of kings and nobility for centuries. It is replete with locations that are enigmatic and magical.

The Pena Palace is for fans of Romantic architecture and sprawling exotic gardens. The Regaleira Palace sits amid an enchanted wood and gardens filled with statues of mythological heroes and ceremonial wells for obscure rites. Wells with stairs but no water.

The Tivoli Palace Seteais is a five-star hotel in a former palace on a hill with gardens and fruit trees. The Sintra National Palace is genuinely medieval, unaltered for 900 years with enormous twin chimneys. The Moorish Castle sits above the National Palace with breathtaking views.

Sintra is the Riviera of Portugal. A haven for kings, saints and travelers. Famous for its palaces, castles, churches, gardens, beaches and parks. It has been called the best place to live in Portugal and has been classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Why did Europeans and Moors fought so hard for this pleasant piece of land? Come and see.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Peter K Burian.

How it works: Download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store to your mobile phone or tablet. The app turns your mobile device into a personal tour guide and its built-in GPS navigation functions guide you from one tour stop to next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walks in Sintra

Map Instructions: (1) Click the "Nearby Sights" button to view the nearby attractions; (2) click a map pin to see sight information.

Guide Name: Sintra Introduction Walking Tour
Guide Location: Portugal » Sintra (See other walking tours in Sintra)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles

Sights Featured in This Walk

WalkBuilder (customize this walk)

Use the WalkBuilder tool below to customize this walk to suit your interests. Instructions: click

at the upper right corner in the map above to view other sights in the city. To learn more about a sight, click a map pin. Click the “+” or “–” to add or remove a sight from the walk. To reorder the selected sights, simply drag and move them up or down the list in the left column.

Click here to view route map

Enter a name for your custom walk, along with your email address, in the fields below. You will receive the instructions for retrieving your custom walk in the GPSmyCity app by email. The GPSmyCity app offers turn-by-turn travel directions to guide you from one attraction to the next.
Walk Name*:
Email*:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I access my walking tour in Sintra?
Save your walking tour on the website. Then download the GPSmyCity app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign in to your GPSmyCity account. Next, download “Sintra Map and Walking Tours” within the app. Your walk will appear on the Walks screen.

2. How do I view other attractions in Sintra?
At the upper-right corner of the map above, click the “Nearby Sights” button to show or hide other sights in the city. Click a map pin to view details about a sight. To add a sight to your walk, find it in the right column of the WalkBuilder tool above and click the “+” button next to it.

3. How do I re-arrange the sight order?
In the left column of the WalkBuilder tool, drag a sight to move it up or down the list. Then click “Click here to view route map”. Repeat this process until the route meets your needs.

4. Can I add my hotel to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add your hotel as the starting point, the ending point, or both (creating a loop route). This feature is currently available only in the GPSmyCity app.

5. Can I add my own sights to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add sightss that are not in our database and include them in your walk. To do so, sign in to your GPSmyCity account on the website or use the GPSmyCity app.

6. How many sights can be included in a walking tour?
For technical reasons, the number of sights in a walking tour is currently capped at 20. This limit may be increased over time.

Walking Tours in Sintra, Portugal

Create Your Own Walk in Sintra

Creating your own self-guided walk in Sintra is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Pena Palace and Moorish Castle Tour

A charming little township on the outskirts of Lisbon, Sintra is a place where there's something for everyone. As if straight out of a fairy tale, this area is a home to several magnificent castles, palaces and gardens, the grandiosity of which fits for a king; and it has been a firm favorite of Portuguese royals since the late 15th century.

The diversity of styles found here is rich –... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles