The mist of time hides many stories of the old Sintra (luminous star). This captivating tour will guide you through a history of romanticism, medieval ideals, and mysticism.
Starting in the national renaissance palace, to the alley ofjudiaria with the old synagogue, to the house of the templars, to the church of Saint Martin (knight templar), to a guided visit, in Quinta da Regaleira. There we will retrace the initiation rites of the templars/maçons gnostic order.
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Pick up at hotel
- The guide will pick you up at the place where you are staying lodge. The drop off could be in tha same place, or a different one.
The Pena Palace (Portuguese: Palácio da Pena) is a Romanticist castle in São Pedro de Penaferrim, in the municipality of Sintra, on the Portuguese Riviera. The castle stands on the top of a hill in the Sintra Mountains above the town of Sintra, and on a clear day it can be easily seen from Lisbon and much of its metropolitan area. It is a national monument and constitutes one of the major expressions of 19th-century Romanticism in the world. The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. It is also used for state occasions by the President of the Portuguese Republic and other government officials.
Most likely, the first building was built around the 10th or 11th century, when Sintra was Islamic territory. At the end of the Middle Ages, the Palace of Sintra was the center of a territory managed by the Queens of Portugal, but it was also one of the favorite spaces of the Portuguese monarchs. The abundance of game in the region, the freshness of the climate during the summer months or the need for refuge in periods of plague in the capital made Paço de Sintra a frequent destination. Keeper of memories and witness to exciting events in the history of Portugal, Paço de Sintra offers visitors the opportunity to travel back in time and experience other lives that are so different from our own.
The Church of São Martinho is the parish seat, it was destroyed by the earthquake of 1755, rebuilt and lost its character at the end of the 18th century. Only the Gothic structure of the chancel remains, visible from the outside, including the 15th-century tombstone of Margarida Fernandes and three boards of Portuguese painting from the mid-16th century – “S. Martin and the poor", "St. Pedro” and “St.º António” – attributed to the Master of S. Quintino.
We can only speak of the Parish Church of São Martinho from 1283, the year in which statutes were ordained and granted, which, however, were only approved in 1306. Thus, all its regulations and properties were established (notably, among them, the hermitages of São Romão de Lourel; and São Mamede de Janas).
Over time, Sintra's Mother Church and seat of the Royal Collegiate of São Martinho, will have been the target of several restoration and improvement campaigns, highlighting the one carried out during the reign of King Manuel I.
Located in the heart of Sintra, the Biester Palace opened to the public in 2022, after restoration works.
The various areas of the palace and the park offer a privileged view of the Castelo dos Mouros, while a few minutes from the lower entrance you can find the mystical Quinta da Regaleira.
More than a historical monument, the Biester Palace is a mysterious adventure in a fascinating and (still) unexplored cultural labyrinth.
Regaleira, built by António Carvalho Monteiro, wanted to build a grandiose space, where he could live surrounded by all the symbols that reflected his interests and ideologies. Conservative, monarchist and Gnostic Christian, Carvalho Monteiro wanted to resurrect Portugal's most glorious past, hence the predominance of the neo-Manueline style with its connection to the discoveries. This evocation of the past also goes through Gothic art and some classical elements. The diversity of Quinta da Regaleira is enriched with symbolism of esoteric themes related to alchemy, Freemasonry, Templars and Rosicrucians.
The guide will provide a list of restaurants that the client will choose from, depending of what they want to taste and try.
Praia Grande is a beach in the municipality of Sintra, in Portugal. It is integrated into the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park.
It offers a relatively extensive beach - hence its name. With an ideal strong swell, the beach is famous for its excellent conditions for surfing and bodyboarding. On this beach, every year, various water sports events are held, including the world bodyboarding championship. It has an ocean pool at the north end (entrance fee), while to the south there are traces of dinosaur footprints on the cliff. Good water quality.[4]
Praia Grande is still a summer resort for many inhabitants of the Lisbon region and very popular among the Portuguese capital's jet set. The EN375 road, which gives access to the beach, has been served by a Sintra Tram stop since 1980 and in the period 1904-1958.
The left end of the beach, next to the cliffs, is one of the most popular areas for fishermen, famous for the quality and quantity of fish.
Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point of mainland Portugal and continental Europe. It is located in the parish of Colares, in the Municipality of Sintra and District of Lisbon. Its geographic coordinates are N 38º46'51", W 9º30'2".
The site can be visited, not to the extreme but up to an area at an altitude of 140 m. The cape forms the western end of the Serra de Sintra, falling into the Atlantic Ocean.
Luís Vaz de Camões described it as the place “Where the land ends and the sea begins” (in Os Lusíadas, Canto III).[1]
A stone pattern with a tombstone highlights this geographical feature to everyone who visits this place.
Its flora is diverse and, in many cases, has unique species, being the subject of several studies that also extend to geomorphology, among others.
There is a lighthouse (Farol do Cabo da Roca) and a tourist shop in the area.
It is located in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, in an area with easy access and a large number of tourists, with many people visiting it.
Cascais is a Portuguese village in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area subregion, belonging to the region with the same name and the district of Lisbon, with 64,310 inhabitants (2021) in its urban perimeter.
It is the seat of the municipality of Cascais, with a total area of 97.4 km2 and 214,158 inhabitants (2021), subdivided into 4 parishes. The municipality is limited to the north by the municipality of Sintra, to the east by the municipality of Oeiras and to the south and west by the Atlantic Ocean.
Its origins as an independent entity date from the Carta da Vila, of June 7, 1364, in which King D. Pedro I of Portugal separated it from the term of Sintra due to its economic development. Administratively, it only became independent in 1514, the date on which it was provided with its own charter. Occupied since the Paleolithic period, and with an important archaeological heritage, the municipality was focused on agricultural production, fishing and resource extraction from an early age. Its strategic position in Barra do Tejo also contributed to its importance, today boasting a vast military architectural heritage.
Due to its natural and scenic values, both the town and the municipality experienced a surge in popularity that saw it become the preferred destination for Portuguese and foreign elites from the 19th century onwards. The arrival and electrification of the railway were crucial to the city's progress, being the main factor in its urbanization from 1930 onwards.
The guide will take you to your acommodation or other place near the end stop.
Quinta-da-regaleira
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Private guide with car that will drive you to the best spots in sintra.
Guided visitation to quinta-da-regaleira and the iniciátic well.
Historical explination of sintra and its palaces. Private transportation, car.
Tickets to enter in the palaces, snacks and food.
Please bring comfortable clothes and shoes, water and some snacks ( bananas, energy bars,etc). I'll give you tips on which places to choose to eat, the best views and restaurants of sintra&cascais. welcome and Obrigado,
Francisco
Its possible to drive to create a taillor made tour, we can add or subtract palaces and places.
My working hours in low season are: from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm; in high season it runs from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Hi! I'm Francisco :) I´m a local guide, born and raised in sintra. I know sintra many years before the turism started, before 1996, it was my playground and a place for locals. I heard many legends about mysticism, secrets and sintra stories, told by local elders. Later I joined a group in sintra and deepened my historical knowledge and the Portuguese spiritual tradition linked to the Templars and knights of order of christ. The passion for history comes from my father, a history teacher and a monarch. Now, I'm responsible for sharing my passion and knowledge in a immersing guided view of Sintra, Quinta-da-Regaleira, and Pena Palace, and the keeper of the first "door" to sintra history culture and spirituality.
“Excellent Day with Francisco”
We had a wonderful 8 hour tour of four palaces in Sintra. Firstly, even though we had a rental car, this is not a tour that we could have done on our own. The maze of streets and few hidden parking spots would have likely meant that we would have has to miss sites. Also, gps doesn’t work on the volcanic mountain. Second, he has an excellent knowledge of the sites, and of Portuguese and world history. He also is an excellent story teller, and a great guy. Francisco picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel, which was helpful. Moreover, he grew up in Sintra, and now lives nearby so he knows a lot of people, and picked an excellent, simple local restaurant for lunch. If we did it again, would spend an extra night in Sintra and do a second day of touring with him. Highly recommend a tour with him.
“Great Tour in Sintra”
Francisco was extremely knowledgeable and gave our group a fantastic tour. His local knowledge and experience made this a special day. Highly recommend touring with him when in the area!
Francisco O.
(3 reviews)Thank you my friend, it was a specialday with you and the group. Remenber you have a friend in Sintra, whenever you whant to come back. My best regards to all the group, and a wish you all the best in your life. Obrigado Francisco
“Great Tour”
Francisco kept our group of 11 engaged and informed. We all enjoyed his enthusiasm and depth of knowledge for the rich history of Sintra. We learned a lot. Highly recommend Francisco!
Francisco O.
(3 reviews)Hello Katherine. Hope you and the group are doing ok. Sorry for taking so long to reply., ive been working a lot. Thank you for your kind words, it was a special group a had a great time. Remember you have a friend here, whenever you whant to come back to do a diferent tour. My best regards, Francisco