Surfing in Sintra Where the old world meets the new

Most visitors to Sintra come to see the spectacular Pena Palaces and the ruins of the old Castle. The Palace was completed in 1840 and sits at the top of Sintra's highest mountain with panoramic views of Lisbon, the Ocean and the surrounding area. It is truely maginificent. The Castle was built in the 8th century and lies in ruins. It offers a nice walk around it with panoramic views below. Several Palaces dating from the 12th to the 16th century are also open to the public as well as old churches and museums. Within the park can be found the Conventos dos Capuchos, a fascinating hermitage where monks lived in seclusion dating back to the 1560s.

The main old town is at the base of the mountains. It is a small town with a cobblestone pedestrianised area full of small bars, restaurants, cafés, boutiques and shops that is lovely to wander slowly through.

The majority of visitors are usually doing a day trip from Lisbon and more often than not don't venture further to the beautiful beaches that are just a few minutes away. Two of the closest beaches are Praia das Macas and Praia Grande, each with promenades featuring several cafés, bars and local restaurants. A nice difference from the tourist spot that is the main town of Sintra. In 1992 the area of Sintra was given status as a UNIESCO World Heritage site.

Activities in Sintra

The area of Sintra is one of 13 national parks in Portugal. Its area is approximately 145km2 and as such is a playground for outdoor activities including - MTB, Hiking, 4x4, Horse Riding and Fishing.
Golf is one of the biggest activities in Sintra. The area is home to two of Portugal's most famous courses: Penha Longa and Pestana.

Surrounding towns near Sintra

Sintra is in one of the most beautiful areas of Portugal. While tourism is a big factor there are many small unspoilt villages and charming towns that are not on the tourist trail. These include Colares, Almocageme, Praia das Macas and the perched village of Azenhas de Mar.

Not to be missed is the old tram that goes from Sintra old town to Praia das Macas. It only runs in the summer.

By the Ocean west of Sintra sits Cabo do Roca. It is known as the Western most part of mainland Europe and a lighthouse and viewing area sit above its very impressive cliffs.

Lisbon, Ericeira and Cascais

The Portuguese capital Lisbon is a 30 minute car drive/train journey away. Easily reachable and a great day trip, especially for a wander around the downtown area or the Oceanarium. Cascais is 25 minutes south and reached by bus or car. Know as Portugal's Monte Carlo, it is full of grand mansions overlooking the Ocean and a mixture of different beaches with open promenades featuring nurmerous cafés and restaurants.

30 minutes north is the beautiful old fishing town of Ericeira which just happens to have some of the best sea food restaurants in Portugal and the best surf breaks - an interesting combination!

Sintra is 30kms from Lisbon airport. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes. Praia das Macas takes an extra 5-10 minutes.

Flights to Lisbon

Please note to check airports as new routes & airlines may begin operating at any time. Below are just some that fly to Portugal. Try www.skyscanner.com for details of who flies to Lisbon from your location

www.flytap.com
www.ryanair.com
www.britishairways.com
www.flymonarch.com
www.easyjet.com
www.aerlingus.com

How to get to Sintra from Lisbon Airport:

Public Transport - Take the metro to Rossio train station (10 minutes). From here you get the train to Sintra (25 minutes). To get to Praia das Macas from SIntra take Bus 441 (10 minutes).

Car Hire - We have a discount car hire section on our website where you can rent a car.

Airport Transfers - Share a taxi or mini bus with our shuttle bus partner here

Sintra's two main beaches are Praia das Macas and Praia Grande. Both are perfect beginner/intermediate beaches and are some of the most consistent surf beaches in the whole Lisbon-Sintra area. North and South of these beaches are many small coves and beautiful hidden beaches that provide any exploring surfer with plenty to get excited about!

Close by is Praia Guincho, a spectacular long beach with different peaks, perfect for learning and can get big and windy in the afternoon, so morning is always the best bet here.

Ericeira is only 30 minutes drive and is definitely worth a day trip at least, it has dozens of surf beaches to offer including the famous point break Ribeira D'Ilhas and also the relaibale beach break Foz do Lizandro.

Further South is Cascais and Lisbon with an endless supply of different surf beaches for all standards.

Come Surf Sintra with us!