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Published: March 16th 2024
Me and My Lonely Planet
Palácio Nacional da Pena, SintraDear All
Yay! After four days of travelling through Portugal, I had arrived in its capital city - Lisbon! I always find it interesting to travel in a country first before getting to know its major city. I've actually done this on my four most recent trips: South Africa, Croatia, Albania, and now Portugal. It's as if the whole trip is building up to this crescendo. While I did like Lisbon, I actually preferred the rest of the country. Porto, Coimbra and Fátima were all quintessentially Portuguese, while Lisbon seemed more international and cosmopolitan. Don't get me wrong, I also like international and cosmopolitan, but the main reason I visit a country is to find out about the country itself. I think this was done best for me in the non-capital areas of Portugal. Still, my first impressions of Lisbon were good. It's big, brash and bustling. I stayed in an AirBnB in a distant suburb called Sacavém. I could reach central Lisbon with either a 20-minute walk and a train, or by a bus and then Metro. I liked doing both.
After a seriously lovely time on my mini-Pilgrimage in Fátima, I took an hour-and-twenty-minute bus on a
Lisbon Tram
Alfama, Lisbon drizzly morning once more, to Lisbon. I felt blessed that my two sunny, fairly cloud-free days during my week in Portugal were in Fátima, and then later Sintra, as detailed below, particularly as most of these two days were spent outdoors. A short journey later, the bus deposited me in Lisbon's Estação do Oriente bus and train station, whence I caught a bus uphill to my lovely AirBnB accommodation there - a seriously comfortable apartment all to myself. You could tell the hostess really cared about her guests - the place had so many lovely little touches to make the visitor feel so very welcome, including a chocolate on the bed and a free bottle of water in the kitchen.
After a short rest and a cup of tea, it was time to hit the road again. This time, I walked a mile downhill to Sacavém train station, to take a train into Lisbon's Santa Apolónia train station, right below the old town of Alfama. This was a perfect place to begin my afternoon's wanderings around this, the oldest part of the city. On my four-hour walk, I took in the Panteão Nacional, the Thieves Market, the Igreja de
São Vicente de Fora, the outside of the Castelo de São Jorge (I wasn't planning to pay the extortionate €15 to get in, and besides I usually just prefer walking around than actually stepping in places), the Sé de Lisboa Cathedral, the Igreja de Santo Antonio de Lisboa where I took in mass, and the Manueline facade of the Igreja da Conceição Velha - the rest of this building was destroyed in the tragic 1755 Lisbon earthquake, and subsequent fires and tsunami, which levelled the city. While it certainly seemed I was ticking off the landmarks of Alfama, which I certainly was in following my Lonely Planet's Walking Tour, I was more interested in taking in the glorious views from the numerous viewpoints dotted all around, dodging and snapping photos of the intermittent, and very famous, trams that were also winding their way through the old town. I also simply enjoyed wandering the fascinating streets, alleyways, staircases and hidden nooks and crannies of this labyrinth dating back to Moorish times. Away from the busy tourist streets, the back alleys were still full of locals going about their business, with men hanging out in tiny bars and eateries, women chattering, and
laundry hanging out of various windows, despite the intermittent drizzle. While the tourists have certainly discovered Alfama, this hasn't led to the movement out of locals or gentrification of the neighbourhoods. It was a living, breathing old town, and was very memorable to explore.
I just had a bit of time to also take in the massive Praça do Comércio, Europe's largest square at 175m by 175m, the buzzing pedestrianised shopping and dining street of Rua Augusta, and Lisbon's most famous of its many lifts used to reach its many hilly heights, the Elevador de Santa Justa. All were impressive. I was ready by then though, to take the Metro and bus back to my accommodation again, stopping off at a nearby Pingo Doce supermarket on the way to stock up on my supplies there. The next day I was heading to Sintra, and I was very much looking forward to my time there.
Indeed, my full day in Lisbon was spent in gorgeous Sintra. Only an hour away by a direct train from my accommodation on the other side of the city, stepping off the train was like stepping into another world. A magical, fairy-tale world of
whimsical beauty and charm. There is also so much to see there, and I think with two full days you still wouldn't be able to fit it all in. I had narrowed my visit down to two out of its four big star attractions - the Quinta da Regaleira first, followed by the Palácio da Pena and its attached Parque da Pena. I chose the former as ever since seeing its fascinating Poço Iniciático on an episode of "Abandoned Engineering" a few years ago, I had always wanted to visit it. I chose the latter as I believe it's the area's main attraction, and it also features on the front cover of my Lonely Planet guide to Portugal. I didn't have time to visit the other two, namely the Palácio de Sintra and the Castelo dos Mouros, though I was still able to have many views with good photos of both throughout my day.
So first up from the train station, a mile walk out of the busy tourist-central Sintra town and its plethora of buses, taxis and tuk-tuks waiting to whisk people off around the sights - everything is rather spread out there, with lots of hilly routes
up and down connecting everything. I was happy to explore on foot, as was my wallet! As mentioned, I was heading first to Quinta da Regaleira, a beautiful neo-Manueline mansion and surreal gardens, built in the early 20th century by Brazilian coffee tycoon, António Carvalho Monteiro, nicknamed "Moneybags Monteiro". The original Portuguese "Manueline" style of architecture dates back to the reign of Dom Manuel I (r. 1495 - 1521), which coincided with "The Age of Discoveries", as Portugal was just beginning to expand its wealth and influence as it travelled and circumnavigated the world. The wealth and opulence of the time is reflected in this fantastic and eccentric architectural style incorporated in churches, cathedrals and palaces throughout the country, as they took on nautical themes including twisted ropes, coral and anchors, with decorative carving that crept, twisted and crawled over everything. The style re-appeared again in the early 20th century in what has become known as "neo-Manueline" architecture, nowhere more so than right here in Sintra.
At Quinta da Regaleira, not only is the fantastical mansion a pleasure to explore, the gardens were also delightful. Covered mostly in forest, moss-covered paths and rocks, the gardens are also interspersed with
numerous caves, grottoes, towers and turrets. I imagine the place's designer, Italian opera-set designer Luigi Manini, was just in his element making all his dream-like fantasies come true in a garden simply ripe for exploring. The highlight of course was the afore-mentioned Poço Iniciático, a 27m deep well which you can go down via a steep, stone spiral staircase. At the bottom are fairy-lit tunnels and caverns, leading out into caves under waterfalls. It really was a fantastical place to be, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.
Next up, I plotted a wonderful hiking route through the surrounding forests along a path called Vale dos Anjos, and up to my next destination, the Palácio da Pena. Upon alighting earlier back at the train station and gazing up at the Castelo dos Mouros sitting atop a 412m high rocky bluff overlooking the town from a seriously lofty height, I mentally ticked that one off my list simply because it looked so high. Little did I know that the Palácio da Pena sits on an even higher rocky bluff than the Castelo at 480m high, and gazes down on the latter from even loftier heights. I found this out the
Alfama
Lisbon hard way, via a two-mile hike pretty much straight up there from the Quinta. It was a good hike though, the first mile or so through dense forest, and the second through the Parque da Pena itself, the Palace's own gardens. While the Quinta's gardens astounded through their fantasy nature, the Parque da Pena astounded in its lush beauty. It felt like a place straight out of the Garden of Eden, with its verdant vegetation, including massive Californian Sequoia Redwoods - a taster perhaps of my upcoming trip to California! Even the ducks of the Parque had their own mini-palace! I just loved this walk, and its sheer beauty around every turn took my mind off the continual climb uphill.
At last I made it to the Palácio da Pena, with plenty of time for my timed entry ticket at 4pm. I got talking to two very friendly Canadian ladies in the queue, which I appreciated. The Palácio was built by Portugal's King Ferdinand II in the mid-eighteenth century, and it served as a royal residence until the end of the Portuguese monarchy in 1910. Its architectural style is described as "Mouresque-Manueline", mixing the afore-mentioned Manueline features with hints
of Arabia and the Middle East. The Lonely Planet describes it as "a wacky confection of onion domes, Moorish keyhole gates, stone snakes and crenellated towers in pinks and lemons". The interior was just as eclectic and extravagant, and I loved how every view seemed to see the rest of the surrounding landscape a long way below, including the Castelo dos Mouros. Whoever resided there would certainly have felt a sense of power over the land. Apparently when there's low cloud, the Palace can be in sunshine and blue skies looking down on the cloud layer below - that must be something to see!
I also found the exact spot up there where the front cover picture of my 2017 Lonely Planet guide to Portugal was taken. I had my picture taken there, holding the Lonely Planet in my hands. I love finding places on the covers of my guide books! Incidentally, and a going a bit off-topic now, I bought the 2017 version second-hand as I just couldn't stomach the 2023 updated version. For anyone reading this, I absolutely do not recommend any Lonely Planet guide published from 2023 onwards, with the "50 Years of Travel" emblem on
the front. They are dire! The format has completely changed. Given that many travellers are now able to find much of their travel information online, it does not list places to stay or eat, the maps are rubbish, and the text very light with little or no detail or background history. There is far too much white space, and there are also more modern inclusions, like "chats with locals" and lots of virtue-signalling moments which I just can't abide. I sent the 2023 Portugal guide I'd bought straight back for a refund, and vowed only to buy second-hand pre-2023 ones from now on instead. Judging by the terrible reviews of these updated versions on Amazon, I am not the only one to think all this. Anyway, back to my travels!
All that lay ahead of me now was a two-mile walk along a path called Vila Sassetti back to the train station again. Although this was mostly downhill, it was a far steeper descent than ascent, and my legs were starting to feel it. The walk was even lovelier than the previous one, passing by huge boulders and rock faces through the lush forest, and every now and then
Street Art
Alfama, Lisbon a hidden forest cottage, sculpture or water feature. I would have loved days of walking through this beautiful Sintra-Cascais Natural Park region, there is so much else to explore there. Towards the end of this walk back, I also passed by my final sighting of Sintra's "Big Four", the 15th century Palácio de Sintra, with its iconic and very famous twin conical chimneys apparently belonging to the palace's kitchen - this place must cook up some seriously big meals fit for giants!
Back in town, I was glad to be on my direct train again back to Sacavém, for an hour's sit down and rest for my aching bones! I finished off the day with a beer, dinner and a lovely evening in for my last night in Portugal.
Seeing as my flight back to London wasn't until the late afternoon of my final day, I had a bit of time to do some further explorations of Lisbon on my last morning in Portugal. I spent this in the area called Belém, a couple of miles to the west of the centre of town and along the banks of the River Tagus just before it reaches the Atlantic
Street Art
Alfama, Lisbon Ocean. I was actually really excited to be there, as the most memorable place I associate Lisbon with is its iconic Torre de Belém, built in the 16th century as a defence fortification for the city of Lisbon. It has, since its construction, symbolised the country's maritime and colonial significance during the Age of Discovery. When I think of Lisbon, I think of this gorgeous Manueline building, and it felt an honour to finally visit it!
I checked out of my very comfortable accommodation in Sacavém, and amazingly enough there was also a direct train line from there to the station of Alcântara-Terra, with a connection to the train line running to Belém from adjacent Alcântara-Mar. I actually had no idea when booking the place that Sacavém station was so well-connected to the places I wanted to visit, so it was a good choice. It also felt very local, and a treat to get off the buzzing tourist path at the end of each day and continue back to the real Portugal. I noticed there how many people have immigrated to the country, most notably from its former African colonies, probably Guinea-Bissau, Angola and Mozambique. There was very much
an African vibe mixed in with the flat-capped traditional Portuguese way of life there.
Changing trains at Alcântara, I got a good glimpse of Lisbon's Ponte 25 de Abril bridge spanning the River Tagus at this wide point just before it enters the Atlantic. The bridge was built in 1966 and originally called Ponte Salazar after the Portuguese dictator, but after the bloodless "Carnation Revolution" of 1974 which overthrew the dictatorship and brought about democracy, it was renamed using the day of the Revolution, the 25th April. It is also modelled on San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, and is certainly strikingly similar! Another precursor to my upcoming trip to California perhaps! In the distance also stands the 1959-built Cristo-Rei statue on the other side of the river, and this one was modelled after Rio de Janeiro's famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil. Though this one is not a precursor for any upcoming re-visits to Rio I'm afraid!
After taking another train further west to Belém from Alcântara, I bought a coffee and a Pastel de Nata custard tart to welcome myself to the place. Apparently the custard tarts of Belém are the best in the country. It
Castelo de São Jorge
View from Miradouro da Graça, Alfama, Lisbon certainly was nice, as was all of them I ate on this trip - and that was quite a few! I then headed to another exciting place for me to visit, the Padrão dos Discobrimentos monument, built in 1960 to mark 500 years since the death of Portugal's great sailor hero, Henry the Navigator. I was excited to see this too, as I do admire Portugal's history as a global explorer myself. It's quite incredible that this comparatively tiny country did so much to open the world up to our knowledge. I have great respect for Portuguese explorers. In fact, I'd already been to and enjoyed so many places around the world with Portuguese heritage (Brazil, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Goa, Malacca and Nagasaki), that coming at last to Portugal almost felt like coming home! The monument is also inspirational and powerful, with Henry himself at the front holding a miniature caravel, famed Portuguese sailing vessel, in his hand, leading a whole host of other Portuguese global adventurers, including Vasco da Gama amongst others. They are all looking out to the sea, ready and waiting to explore it and open up the world. My own traveller-soul connected with it, and the
spirit of adventure into the unknown that it conjures up.
Next up was a further walk westwards to the afore-mentioned Torre de Belém. Again, I was so excited to be there! I took loads of photos, and while it was a showery day, the sun seriously shone there and made the tower look even more magical.
Finally, I took a short walk back on myself to perhaps the most famous Manueline building in Portugal, the early-16th century Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. There was rather a long queue, and I didn't have much time before I needed to head to the airport, so I didn't go inside. I was more than happy to see it from the outside though, again with its beautiful and unique Manueline architecture running all the way along its massive 300m length. I do not intend to make this point sound snobby in any way, but with all my travels, I tend not to enjoy so much going into places such as these - museums and churches. Apart from the absolute must-see, they do all seem to blend into one for me, and I'm always more than happy to just see them from the outside, take
Largo da Graça
Alfama, Lisbon some good pictures, and tick them off my list. I did this I feel with the Jerónimos Monastery as well as the Torre de Belém.
It was now time to head to the airport, first by tram to the centre of Lisbon, and then by Metro. The flight home was fine, and I managed to achieve again my aim for an hour from plane door to home door - yay for Gatwick Airport!!
I really had an amazing time in this cute little mini-adventure through Portugal. It is certainly true what I had heard from many people, that the Portuguese are such lovely people, and the country so lush and attractive. Fair enough, like Ireland, it attracts the same kind of wet and windy weather blown over by the Gulf Stream over the Atlantic Ocean to keep it that way! My final morning in Belém particularly inspired me in planning my own new adventures through this wondrous world we live in. I felt a particular kindred with the Portuguese sailors and adventurers of times past, those that were honoured in the building of the inspiring Padrão dos Descrobrimentos such as Henry the Navigator and Vasco da Gama. Like
Castelo de São Jorge
View from Miradouro da Senhora do Monte, Alfama, Lisbon them, my thirst for knowledge and understanding of this beautiful world seems insatiable, and while I'm now enjoying being back in my home again, I'm also very much ready to continue planning new adventures ahead.
Next up, a two-week road trip around California over Easter - yay! Of course, and as always, watch this space!
Until then, thanks for reading, and all the very best for now! 😊
Alex
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Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
Your "thirst for knowledge and understanding of this beautiful world seems insatiable..."
Portugal is a wonderful country. Easter in California...that is in a couple of weeks! I can't wait to read about your trip.