Descubre la magia de Sintra
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Walking from Sintra to Pena Palace
Embark on an unforgettable adventure as you explore the enchanting path that leads to the crown jewel of Sintra - Pena Palace. This ultimate guide is your gateway to discovering everything you need to know about walking to Pena Palace, unveiling the secrets, insights, and tips to make your journey truly extraordinary. From the scenic routes and time considerations to hidden gems and practical advice.
Lace up your shoes as we embark on a journey through winding roads, through the forests that used to be the hunting grounds of Royalty.
Walking from Sintra to the Castle of the Moors or Pena Palace is not an easy undertaking. Especially during the hot summer months. If you or someone in your group has serious health or joint problems, this should not be a viable option. The Palace is in a height of almost 500 m (0.32 miles) and the steepness reaches at it's peak grade of 23% inclination. If you take the most direct route (from Sao Pedro Penaferrim) it is still a good distance of 2.6 km (1.62 miles). This is not a lot for most experienced walkers, but the steepness and the weather conditions is what gets many visitors to give up and take some kind of transport to head back to Sintra.
How to prepare for a walking tour from Sintra to Pena Palace
Good walking shoes
Water & Snacks
Rain coat (autumn, winter)
Map
You might be surprised about our recommendations, but believe me, these are based on our experience as tour
guides on the ground. We have often seen people get lost in the woods (including one of our guides!), the weather
changes in the Sintra mountain (especially in the months between October to May). You are walking on the sunny
side and around the bend it becomes chilly, foggy and outright moist. The Sintra mountain has many micro-climates,
which is one of the reasons why the vegetation is so interestingly diverse and dense.
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Now a walking trip of 2.6 km (1.62 miles) is not much and you are not "far from civilization", considering that almost
5.000 visitors get to Pena Palace on a daily base (most by Bus, TukTuk or other transport options), but at the same time
you should consider that Wi-Fi is not good once you are in the woods and mobile connection can be unavailable for a good amount of time. As a "Plan B" we recommend a good map, with the path marked. It will come in handy, if you loose your GPS/Navigational system due to whatever reasons.
The recommended routes from Sintra to Pena Palace
There are many little winding paths circling around the mountain. Some lead through private properties and might not be available all year or even deemed safe. Some websites recommend a shorter version of this route turning up at Igreja de Santa Maria. You start at the historic centre, walk up to the News Museum, passing the Sintra Boutique Hotel and further up until the end of the Rua Visconde de Monserrate. Now i becames challenging as you reach the Escadinhas dos Clérigos
Rua Visconde de Monserrate - Walking up from Sintra Historical Centre
Escadinhas dos Clérigos at the top of the Rua Visconde Monserrat
Once you reach the top you will see the Calçado dos Clérigos, where you need to turn LEFT. Here you will walk until you see the yellow Gothic church called Santa Maria e São Miguel. Turn RIGHT and start following the signs (the path to the Pena Palace is well described from here on. Notice the yellow-red markings and follow them until you reach the Castle of the Moors. You are now very close to the Pena Palace. The distance is about 350 meters (0.22 miles).
Distance: 2.6 km (1.62 miles) Time to Destination: 45 min - 60 min. Steepness/Grade: 15% in average.
Another scenic opiton: São Pedro de Penaferrim to Pena
The second option is going a bit further up to the São Pedro de Penaferrim church. This route is longer than the Santa Maria option, but it offers the option to rest half way through. You can visit the Sao Pedro church and have a break in some of the nearby village Restaurants.
The route from here is scenic and takes you through a unique part of the Sintra mountain.
Conclusion
Whilst it is possible to walk from Sintra's historical centre to Pena Palace, consider that you will spend 2 hours or longer walking. On the way up you will walk on very steep roads. Be careful with traffic as some of these roads are very narrow. There is another route through the Estrada da Pena (the route that the Bus 434 takes - See here) but we don't recommend taking this route as it is not only longer, but also more dangerous. You will be walking on the side of a narrow road that in the summer is full of traffic going up to the Pena Palace, which can be dangerous.
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Remember to take the walking time to Pena Palace into consideration, if you have a scheduled visit to the Pena Palace. If you miss your spot, you will loose the entry to the Palace and the cost of the ticket. We always recommend to buy the tickets to the Pena Palace in advance. Avoid the long queues - Buy Pena Palace tickets online: