For the last several months, my social media feed has been buzzing with amazing, colourful pictures of Sintra, with many tourists calling it a “magical fairytale town” in Europe. So, while planning a visit to Portugal, it was a no-brainer that a day needed to be dedicated to see what all the fuss was about. Located just around 18 miles from the capital city of Lisbon, Sintra is listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites.
After spending two days in Lisbon, we caught an early morning train to Sintra and arrived in the renowned town in just under 40 minutes. You could easily gauge the excitement among everyone as the tiny train station was bustling with tourists. A 24-hour bus pass in the town costs around £11 (€13.
50) and allows unlimited travel on all buses in the city. Not bad, I thought to myself. And the first stop on my list was the famous yellow-coloured Pena Palace.
Pena Palace is located in the uphills of the town, so you either need to take a bus or a taxi to get there. We took a 24-hour bus pass and stood in the queue outside the train station. Even in an off-peak season, I was amused by the number of tourists that had flocked to this town.
The buses were running full, and people had to literally wait for several minutes before another transport service arrived. The entire 50-minute-long journey to Pena Palace was full of lush green forest, little houses immersed in Portuguese architecture, and the scenic beauty of the hills. All of this got me more excit.