Romantic Sintra: Things to Do for Couples

With its misty forests, fairytale palaces and secret gardens, Sintra is Portugal’s most romantic place, and staying overnight lets you enjoy it after the day-trippers leave. Here are the most romantic things to do in Sintra and the best places to stay.

Quick answer: explore Quinta da Regaleira and its grottos, wander the gardens of Monserrate, watch the sunset from Cabo da Roca or the Moorish Castle, and dine in the old town. Stay in a palace at Seteais, at Penha Longa, or in a cosy boutique hotel.

Romantic things to do

• Quinta da Regaleira: the Initiation Well and hidden tunnels. See Regaleira.
• Monserrate’s gardens: exotic, peaceful and quiet. See Monserrate.
• Sunset at Cabo da Roca. See Cabo da Roca.
• The Moorish Castle walls late in the day. See the Moorish Castle.
• A forest walk on the hill trails. See Sintra hikes.
• Dinner by the sea at Azenhas do Mar. See Azenhas do Mar.

Romantic hotels

• Valverde Sintra Palácio de Seteais: an 18th-century palace. Check prices.
• Penha Longa: a resort in a former monastery estate. Check prices.
• Sintra Boutique Hotel. Check prices.
• Lawrence’s Hotel: a historic inn in the old town. Check prices.
• Quinta das Murtas: a romantic quinta. Check prices.

See where to stay in Sintra.

More: romantic Lisbon and a romantic trip to Portugal.

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