Palaces & Pathways of Sintra

Don't know where to begin really. It was outstanding. Challenging yet comfortable  Just such a joy to have everything arranged for you. One of my best holidays ever!

In Colares we found the most amazing place to eat (on Google maps) called Colarense. The reviews describe it as like having supper at your grandmothers ...and it is ! 

This was our first Inntravel holiday and whilst normally inveterate complicated holiday planners we loved the feeling of everything being 'sorted'. And it all worked! The detailed route instructions were blissfully easy to follow, especially in combination with the downloaded GPS files when we had the very rare worry. The walking was exactly as described, very manageable, with some steep paths. Aspects of the routes were a bit suburban for us, but there were some stunning cliff top paths and a spectacularly lovely day of forest ascent leading up to Sintra. We rarely met other walkers and enjoyed the solitude, but that could have been down to the time of year and weather. The Convento dos Capuchos was a magical place to explore and the gardens of the palaces of Sintra were spectacular. Weather was trousers and t-shirt temp, but lots of quite heavy showers. We were overjoyed by the old fashioned glamour and charming service of Hotel Britania in Lisbon (city add-on) and the equally delightful Lawrence's Hotel in Sintra. Pergola House was super friendly with a rather over fancy expensive restaurant, but the other two hotels were a bit of a disappointment, especially the cramped room with a shower and toilet in the room - barely separated by glass screens - at Quinta Vale Da Roca. Breakfasts were in general delicious and substantial, and we enjoyed some hearty and good value meals in recommended restaurants along the route. We would definitely opt for another Inntravel holiday in the future.

There were many highlights/memorable places and moments during our holiday (Palaces and Pathways of Sintra) including: The coastal paths – absolutely beautiful! The hotels were all excellent. We loved the ambience of Pergola House, the view at Quinta Vale da Roca, the restoration of Vila Vitorino and the history surrounding Lawrence’s Hotel. The food was delicious. The Convento dos Capunchos – a real gem, so beautifully quiet and peaceful. Montserrate Palace (especially the wonderful gardens).

There was more suburban walking than we had anticipated. This is something we probably would have spotted had we looked carefully at a map before booking. The walk around Colares was wonderful once we got to the coast and away from the crazy, barking guard dogs. Sintra was beautiful at night but incredibly busy during the day. If you want to go into Pena Palace you really do need to book a slot. We gave up when we saw the massive queues, content with the memory of the peaceful Convento dos Capunchos and the stunning gardens at Montserrate Palace. We had a fabulous week away and are so pleased to have seen this area of Portugal. If you book this holiday you should bear in mind that parts of the walking are quite suburban and Sintra is a massive tourist attraction so be prepared and book ahead.

I found the trip notes highly detailed and helpful, and very much appreciated the background information on the various cities and monuments that Inntravel provided. I also downloaded the recommended GPX files which were very useful as a supplement to the trip notes. I also found the restaurant suggestions excellent.

This was our first Inntravel holiday and we thought it generally very well organised. The hotels each had their own individual style and were all comfortable and welcoming although the staff at Quinta Vale da Roca were thin on the ground, possibly because we stayed on a public holiday. Breakfasts were generally excellent, especially at Vila Vitorino, but in hindsight we would have preferred to have had picnics provided by the hotels each day for maximum flexibility and to avoid the risk of cafes/restaurants being busy or closed, as there wasn't much option in terms of food shopping - just our personal choice, though. We found the first day to be the longest and hardest (not just because of the 30 degree October heat which lasted all week!) and would suggest being dropped off at Guincho beach rather than walk the first few kilometres up the coast alongside a fairly busy main road. The walk around Colares on day 4 included quite a lengthy suburban section with lots of barking dogs although the later coastal section was nice. On reflection we felt that one night in Colares would have been enough for us if this had been possible - we would probably have preferred to have had two nights in Cascais at the beginning of the holiday as our flight times didn't really give us any chance to look around. On day 5 we arranged for the luggage taxi to take us up the hill to Convento dos Capuchos to start our walk - a good decision in the fierce heat and it gave us more time to look around properly before walking onwards to Sintra. After the quiet of the previous places, Sintra was very busy but we really enjoyed our stay and the hospitality of Lawrence's Hotel. Overall a lovely week in very hot October sunshine - interesting places and scenery, and lots of delicious fish!

Such an adventurous and inspirational walk, great nature views, perfect places to stay, highly recommend palaces and historic castle to view. One of the best holidays possible, so much to see, super fish food, everyday different, very good locations with a good city to visit at the end.

So many highlights from this holiday, beautiful and varied accommodation, a variety of walking terrain along beaches, clifftops and through woods, fabulous views. The local seafood dishes served at the restaurants in the villages were delicious and, of course, a daily pastel de nata for energy! Visiting the palaces of Sintra at the end of the holiday was the icing on the cake.

This was an excellent holiday, very well thought out and planned by Inntravel. All of the hotels are very good and each is individual in character. The welcome we received from the manager and staff at Pergola was exceptional. Of the many highlights, Monserrate Palace is not to be missed. Later that day we chose to explore Biester Palace & garden, rather than the overcrowded Regaleira Estate. We enjoyed exploring the palace and its lovely gardens and taking refreshment at the tea house. For the day in Sintra, we chose to take a taxi directly to Peña Palace, thereby avoiding the steep uphill walk from town. This is a good move, as there is a further 20 minute uphill walk from the park entrance to the palace. Our recommendation is to buy a 'park ticket' (which we did in advance) this allows you to not only access the extensive gardens, but also to walk around the palace fortifications and enter the chapel. We saw as much of the palace as we wanted to see, and were allowed to bypass the lengthy queues of frustrated people with timed tickets waiting to see the palace interior. By leaving the gardens via the Valley of Lakes exit, we could walk directly up to the Moorish Castle. We found doing it this way around allowed plenty of time to explore both sites fully.

We followed other clients' suggestions for eating out, and can highly recommend Sisudo in Almocageme for lunch (booking may be necessary), and also Azenhas do Mar, a great fish restaurant with stunning sea views. We also ate twice at Don Quixote in Azoia, both times late lunches which allowed for a relaxing evening at Quinta Vale de Roca. A final comment: the ice creams at Santini opposite Pergola in Cascais are superb. 

We loved the variety of walks, coastal views and interesting hotels. The holiday felt like a wonderful adventure with the added bonus of a great dinner and comfortable bed at the end of each day.

Food highlights were Bar do Guincho, 3 Gomes in Azoia, Don Quixote for the views and lunch after the walk on Day 2, Sisudo for lunch on Day 3 (tempura prawns!) In Colares, Ribeirinha is excellent particularly if you are vegetarian... good non meat/fish dishes are hard to come by in Portugal. The fish restaurant at Azenhas do Mar is not to be missed at the end of Day 4. Not the cheapest but SO good! Sintra is really busy after the relative quiet of previous days.. best to prebook restaurants.

Time Out Market in Lisbon is the most incredible foodie experience, we went twice.

Loved the walks through the forest and this over all is a very pretty areas of Portugal. First day walk was harder than anticiapted but the rest reflected the grading. The Lisbon add on was a personal highlight. 

A wonderful family walking holiday through the Sintra-Cascais natural park.  Impeccably organised by Inntravel, assisting us with a late notice taxi adjustment as one flight was delayed.  The walks were fun with a variety of beaches, cliff tops and open inland paths.  Some walks did include fairly long stretches through affluent suburbia where guard dogs made themselves known.  We most enjoyed day 2 - Around Azoia - and the climb to the chapel of Peninha with views to Lisbon.  The walk into Sintra on day five and then around Sintra on the final day were a fitting climax to the holiday.
The accommodation was all to a high standard with warm welcomes and excellent breakfasts throughout.  The highlight was Quinta Vale da Roca with amazing views back to Cabo Raso, and a lovel pool.  We did the wine tour and it was interesting to discover the story behind the local wine industry where the local vines have escaped the phylloxera epidemic due to the way they root deeply into sand.
We arrived into Cascais too late for the recommended Dom Pedro and instead had a lovely dinner in Beira Mar.  Choice of dining in Azoia is limited but we had two great dinners.  Casa do Mar sem Fin is low-key but high quality.  The spicy clams were good and the home made ice cream is highly recommended with aventurous recipes (Jalapeno pepper, pineapple and mint being just two) - ask to try three varieties and they come served in lovely individual dishes with separate spoons!  3 Gomes is more traditional and excellent - we enjoyed the Arroz (fish rice).
The walk to Colares is quite heavy going on day three and we stopped for a very welcome lunch in the Cafe Sol da Adraga in Almocageme - very informal and a great club sandwich.
Dining is even more limited in Colares (especially on a Sunday/Monday) but Colheita 71 is an absolute gem. Don't be put off by the inauspicious entrance and let the hoistess (Lia) guide you towards her recommendations.  We had one vegan in our group and with a little notice they presented a beautiful vegan salad.  In Sintra, Nau Palatina was exellent but a 20 minute walk out of the town.
As others have said, Pena Palace is busy with a feeling of being controlled rather than welcomed, but it is a must.  Pre book and you are given a time slot which they stick to precisely.  In contrast, Monserrate Palace and gardens are stunning and the National Palace in the centre of Sintra is interesting and both are a lot quieter.  The Moorish Castle should be visited en route to Pena and gives great views to Pena, Sintra and beyond, but a good head for heights is required.  The castle and Pena are about 1,500 feet up from the centre of Sintra and many visitors take the bus or taxi but the walk is most rewarding.

We had a fantastic walking holiday overall in high quality accommodation in great locations. The two hotels with the pool were an added bonus for rest and swim after long walk. We would recommend booking an extra day in Sintra if you wish to visit the main palaces. We found that we were too tired after the walk into Sintra to do more than Monsatery and Monserrate Place (do not miss this as it is very different). But consider buying a combination ticket for all palaces as we didnt and probably paid more than we needed. We were recommended a great restaurant only 5 minutes walk from Lawrence Hotel in Sintra, called "Romaria de Baco". Excellent food but may need to book. Walks were amazing in terms of variety and viewpoints. Great sections along the coast and opportunities to sit on a few beaches for a rest. Overall, a brilliant experience and would use Inntravel again.

Our 6th Inntravel walking holiday and there are many reasons why we keep returning to the format. The office organisation and background information to start with. Then the good choice of trails, views, accommodation.

An extremely well coordinated and arranged holiday.  The scenery is fantastic and the Portuguese people are so friendly.   Loved Sintra.  Definitely needed my stick and you do need a head for heights at some points.  Food delicious.

The sights of the Sintra Hills are fantastic and well worth visiting. Cascais is also worth a day. The old fashioned and charming Lawrence's Hotel was delightful as was the Pergola House in Cascais. They bookended a super holiday. 

We highly recommend this walk, especially for the combination of dramatic views of the ocean shoreline, dense woodland and open countryside. The opportunity to visit unique historic buildings is a plus, especially the Monserrate Palace where we arrived on Day 5. We recommend others to plan plenty of time to explore and enjoy this particular experience. The restaurant suggestions were very helpful. We appreciated in particular the 3Gomes restaurant in Azoia.

The cliffs along the Atlantic Coast and the GR 11 trail were spectacular and wildflowers were in bloom. Enjoyed Evora and wished we'd had an extra day there, but the hotel had been booked for a tour and we had no choice but to return to Lisbon by the early morning train. Every one of the hotels you chose for us was lovely and all of the hosts were charming and helpful. The Portuguese people were warm and friendly and, interestingly, we were in Lisbon on Democracy Day, which was a bit of added excitement.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers added a stay in Evora before our walk Palaces & Pathways of Sintra

My partner and I really enjoyed this trip around the Sintra region. It was especially convenient as an easy transfer from Lisbon with spectacular scenary immediately upon day 1 of the walk. We would highly recommend the trip to others and expect to return to many of the locations we visited.

While we were in Portugal there was a strike of Public sector workers which affected some trains and the public monuments around Sintra. It would have been helpful to have been warned of this (we did get a text in relation to the journey from Coimbra to Porto, which was helpful)

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers did our walking holiday 'Palaces and Pathways of Sintra' followed by our journey 'On the Waterfront'.

This holiday takes you on a lovely variety of walks through different environments which provide stunning vistas, a wonderful variety of plants and trees to enjoy and time to stop, reflect and take in the beauty of the area. The accomodation was varied with three very different set ups, but each one was interesting, very comfortable and run by great people who added a lot to our stays there. We enjoyed finding out more about the history of the area through the notes we were given to accompany us on our walks, and the directions were generally very easy to follow and detailed. Our Lisbon add on was well worth doing - a lovely city to explore.

Inntravel did an exceptional job of providing the walking notes, hotels and restaurant recommendations. We really enjoyed waking up, giving our luggage to the taxi driver and walking the rest of the day. The walking was our highlight - so beautiful and fun to walk in nature and then pass through towns, stopping for coffee and ice cream! We also enjoyed the descriptions of the sightseeing opportunities provided in the Inntravel book. Everyone from taxi drivers to hotel staff were tremendously friendly and helpful. Language was never an issue since everyone spoke English exceptionally well. I appreciated that Inntravel responded within 2 hours when we emailed with a question or issue (taxi in Sintra). All the hotels spoke highly of Inntravel as well and had good experiences working with the company. This was an amazing trip and we really enjoyed every part. 

Wonderful holiday, with varied but generally not too challenging walking and generally high standard of accommodation en route. Written directions for the walks were clear and helpful, and we loved the sense of getting to know some corners of Portugal which are slightly off the beaten track. October is a much rainier month than we had expected, and the climate of all the places we stayed was extremely humid so it is really hard to dry clothes - bathrooms don't have hot rails, tumble dryers are not easily accessed - so take plenty of spare clothing! Sintra is stunning - well worth allowing plenty of time for Monserrate, too. We spent an extra half-day in Sintra due to poor weather earlier in the trip, and were glad to have had enough time to explore it thoroughly and see all the palaces, castle etc without rushing. The Lisbon add-on was well worth doing - we loved the city and could have done with longer there, but we will return! Be prepared for eating out in Lisbon to be much pricier than the excellent and (by UK standards) very moderately priced food we had around Cascais and Sintra.

This was our third walking holiday with Inntravel and we are impressed with the quality that is your signum: interesting hotels, perfect transfers and luggage transport, great walks and walking notes. We hope to be back in 2023!

Great three centre holiday (including walking holidays 'From Cape to Castle', 'Palaces & Pathways of Sintra' and a stay in Lisbon at the Hotel Solar Do Castelo) which we thoroughly enjoyed.

This was our first walking holiday experience and Inntravel was recommended to us by friends who had used their services before. Being Canadian, and using a UK travel agent solely by email correspondence was of some concern, but our apprehensions were alleviated when everything came together as we hoped. Our experience with Inntravel was seamless. All of the necessary preparation and walking notes were provided to us well in advance. The accommodations were better than expected and the transfers were timely. The Castles of Sintra route was spectacular while we experienced history, local flavours and beautiful landscapes. We would certainly use Inntravel again for future walking holidays in Europe or abroad. 

Staying in Lisbon at Solar do Castelo was a highlight. The walks were a great mixture of by the sea and in the hills. Sintra is an exceptional set of palaces but Pena queues are not worth it.

Of the palaces in Sintra, they varied a lot in appeal. Monserrat was the best, with the best garden and beautiful architecture. Biester came a close second.

The walking notes suggest going to the Moorish castle first, and then on to Pena Palace. We went directly to the Pena Palace at 9.30 by tuktuk, and the crowds were already large. By midday they were horrendous. The Pena Palace was not very attractive, made worse by the press of crowds. We would have prefered to give it a miss.

Great restaurant in Sintra, just by the Lawrence : Romaria de Baco, very popular, best to book.

In Evora, we had a great meal at Bistro Barāo, again best to book.

Exceptional accommodation. Perfect locations. Good food recommendations for evening meals. Efficient luggage transfer. Great map provided, v useful as point of reference if not sure of notes.

This was our first holiday with Inntravel. We were very impressed with the detailed walking notes and luggage transfers. All the accommodation was excellent. We particularly liked the secluded courtyard garden at Pergola House in Cascais and wished that we had booked an additional night there. Ana provided wonderful homemade breakfasts and packed lunches at Quinta do Rio Touro in Azoia and it was lovely to relax in the pool there after a day's walking. We strongly recommend the 3 Gomes restaurant in Azoia (about a 15 minute walk away) - a very friendly restuarant with a good menu of Portuguese dishes. We had a lovely detached room at the end of the garden at Colina Flora and again enjoyed using the pool in the garden. There is a useful self catering kitchen with an honesty box to buy pasta and basic sauces as eating out requires arranging a lift with the hosts, or getting a taxi. Lawrence's Hotel was well situated in the old part of Sintra - quiet but with easy access to the centre of town and the sites. The evening meal there was excellent. 

It was warmer than average for September and quite humid making walks a little more challenging than the distances suggested. Nevertheless, we enjoyed all of the varied walks: beaches, cliff views, forests and sites of interest.

We look forward to booking with InnTravel in the future.

It's hard to highlight any aspect of this holiday as it was all so good.  Great hotels, off the beaten track - literally.  Great walks through some stunning scenery.  Even the weather gods delivered with heavy rain/thunder by night and glorious blue sky and sunshine by day.  I've always said "the sun shines on the righteous" - we must have been good recently!

Our first trip with Inntravel. Very well organised and great tips & recommendations for where to eat etc. would thoroughly recommend Metamorphosis restaurant in Sintra opposite Dom Pipas which was closed - excellent quality & great value. 

Portugal is a beautiful country.  We chose 2 very different walking routes (Palaces & Pathways of Sintra, and A Coast of many Colours) which complimented each other very well.  Scenery was spectacular ! The walking was at our level and challenged us at times which was great.  Walking poles and good boots/ shoes were a necessity and we needed good rain jackets during the first week.  Can't undervalue good gear. This our third trip with Inntravel , we have come to appreciate their excellent choices of accomodation and good walk notes/ good choices of routes.  This was our first experience using a GPX provided by Inntravel and it worked brilliantly and was invaluable....follow the blue dot ....became one of our catch phrases !

We very much enjoyed our walking holiday. The walking routes were very good and the scenery was wonderful. The guesthouses were mostly good. We definitely recommend Inntravel.

A wonderfully varied and scenic walk in a lovely part of Portugal. Sometimes we hardly met another soul along the beautiful woodland tracks. The undoubted highlight was Monserrate Palace - one of the most magical places we have ever visited. Lovely accomodation and great breakfasts.   

This was a fabulous vacation and everything we wanted and expected. The Inntravel staff were extremely helpful and responsive and the materials they provided were very comprehensive. I am looking forward to taking another vacation with Inntravel!!

Top of the list of highlights were the wild flowers which you see from the moment you get on the path from Guincho beach. Even when you are in country lanes you see masses of flowers - nasturtiums, poppies, all sorts of daisies - I can't name them all. Wonderful sea views. Our first hotel, Casa Vela, was excellent with a wonderful terraced garden and two swimming pools. Each room had its own terrace. [Inntravel note: our usual acommodation wasn't available here] The Quinta Vale da Roca was superb - I would go back there for a holiday. The Montserrate Palace was beautiful, as was the Regaleira Estate - don't miss the well - an amazing descent into a deep tower-like structure which descends to underground tunnels and caves lined with rocks taken from the seabed. We were lucky enough to be taken to the well and down into it, to a series of underground tunnels and caves, by one of the employees - a real adventure! It's a bit like a Tower of Pisa dug into the ground - absolutely extraordinary!

Restaurants - Mar do Inferno in Cascais - probably our favourite of the whole holiday. Just next to Boca do Inferno, walkable from centre. Also enjoyed Restaurant Marisco Na Praca in the market (a huge tent!) where you choose your crab of fish and it's weighed and priced for you. Not as elegant as Mar do Inferno but good fun and very good. All the restaurants on the walk were good. The Don Quixote Bar was a no no as it was absolutely heaving - maybe because it was the weekend. Both the 3 Gomes and Refugio de Roca in Azoia were fine - very friendly and food very good. In Almocageme, we were taken to Sisudo on our first evening, which was excellent. The other one, on our second night - I think it was Toca di Julio, not as good. In Sintra, I didn't like the look of the restaurants recommended in the notes near the hotel and asked Diana, the lovely receptionist at Lawrence's, for recommendations. We went to Romaria de Baco, Rua Gil Vicente, just down the road, which was fine, and the second night to Imcomum, which has a famous chef, about 15 minutes walk downhill in the new town. That was really excellent - a bit more expensive but well worth it.

This was our first Inntravel holiday and we were absolutely delighted with the whole experience. It's impossible to pick a particular highlight as every part of the experience was wonderful.

We will absolutely be travelling with Inntravel again and would recommend them to anyone.

Another delightful holiday with Inntravel. This was our first time in Portugal for 19 years. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and as always, the entire journey went well thanks to the excellent service provided by Inntravel. We have been on four Inntravel walking holidays and will be looking to book another in the future. 

We thoroughly enjoyed this holiday - it was such a joy to be away again. The spring flowers along the coastal walks were in full bloom and our walk up the coastal valley through blankets of rock roses listening to the song of nightingales will be a treasured memory. We highly recommend making time to visit Monserrate Palace and Park with its extensive gardens as well as the gardens at Peña Palace in Sintra.

We found some lovely places to eat: fabulous fish at Dom Pedro in Cascais; the cafe at the far end of Guincho beach is a busy bustling beach cafe; Dom Quixote at the end of the 1st day's walk offers so much more than a beer and we returned there for our first night's dinner; possibly our best meals were taken at Pensao Sisudo in Almocageme (lunch stop on our way to Colina Flora and dinner the following evening); Restaurante Tulhas is located just behind Lawrence's hotel in Sintra and offered another wonderful fish supper.

Our Highlights:

Pergola House - A very warm welcome in a lovely old building & one of the best breakfasts I have ever had.

The view from Quinta Vale da Roca - you could see down the coast to Cabo Raso where the walk started.

The Spring flowers in April.

Convento dos Capuchos and the Gardens at Monserrat Palace.

We greatly enjoyed the walk along the stunning coast and hills. The hotels were all very characterful.

Lovely hotels, varied walking with some spectacular views especially along the coast. In Sintra we thought the National Palace was a highlight - much more interesting than Pena Palace and strangely neglected by tourists. 

We generally ate very well but note that Restaurante Paulinha in Cascais has moved - I think it may now open in the evenings but we didn't go there. Restaurant Dom Pedro in Cascais was our least good meal of the trip. Taberna Clandestina in Cascais was excellent - as were Sisudo in Almocageme (very good value) and Bacalhau na Vila in Sintra.