When my yoga teacher told me she was putting on a retreat in Portugal in the summer, the opportunity seemed too good to miss.
A chance to improve on my yoga with twice daily classes and a chance to tick another country off of my to do list.
I will go into the yoga part in an upcoming blog post but I wanted to share with you a post all about the beautiful town of Sintra, which is just outside of Lisbon - Southern Portugal.
Sintra is known for its many 19th-century Romantic architectural monuments, which has resulted in its classification as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I spent a couple of days seeing some of the highlights of Sintra before knuckling down to some serious yoga practice.
When in Sintra it is almost impossible to miss two of the towns stand out tourist attractions as they both sit high in the hills above the main town centre. The first being Pena Palace and the second the Castle de Mouros (or the moorish castle to you and me).
Be prepared with some sensible walking shoes if you plan on walking all the way to the top as it has endless steps but the views from the top are amazing.
Pena Palace is known for its vibrant colour and patterned architecture and is also classed as one of the 7 wonders of Portugal.
Whereas the Castle de Mouros is the 10th century castle whose walls offer panoramic views encircling the cliff-tops overlooking Sintra.
Southern Portugal is also famous for its sweet treats - Pasteis de natas and were a much welcome treat after all climbing and sight seeing. These egg custards tarts are deliciously crumbly and taste much better than the supermarket ones from back home. Wash it down with a 1 EURO shot of cherry liquor from one of the street vendors and you are all set for more exploring :)
No sight seeing trip in Sintra is complete without a tour around the gardens of Quinta de Regaleira. This place feels really magical with lush green gardens, Rapunzel style towers and turrets, caves, and a spiraling well which spirals down into the deep depths of the caves.
Wandering around the gardens was so peaceful and it felt like stepping into the Secret Garden and was probably one of my favourite spots in Sintra.
Sintra really is a little jewel of a town, with its quaint back streets and colourful architecture and a great introduction into Portuguese history and tourism.
Have you even been to Sintra or Portugal?
Thanks for reading, back soon
Nic x
