How to plan an excursion
Reading about other travellers’ experiences on the web was very helpful in deciding what we should visit and planning excursions. We made a long list of wonderful places that deserve to be seen and started crossing them out. The reason was that the time we planned for our tour was limited with the energy and condition we had according to our age.
The filters we used for planning excursions were the vicinity of our main cities and the possibility of reaching them with local transport. Finally, we had made a plan for 3 excursions and one visit stop on the way.
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Excursion plan 1: Sintra – Cabo da Roca – Cascais
If you check on the map the position of those three places you can see that they are very close to Lisbon and each other. The next check was if there was a train or bus to connect them.
We found out that there is a regular local train line to Sintra going from Rossio station in Lisbon. The train goes every 10 minutes and the ride takes about 40 minutes.
The interesting thing is that the train to Cascais also goes every 10 min. And lasts 40 min. But from a different station in Lisbon – Cais do Sodre.
Sintra
We chose to go to Sintra first and visit only one castle. That was a difficult choice. In Sintra, there are so many things to see:
- Pena Palace
- Moorish Castle
- Quinta da Regaleira
- Sintra National Palace
- Monserrate Palace
- Queluz palace
- Capuchos Convent
Click on every attraction to follow the link to the official page with descriptions and information about visits.
The Pena Palace is a fairytale castle that must be seen. The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal.
Castle Pena is a national monument and one of the world’s major expressions of 19th-century Romanticism.
The castle stands on the top of a hill in the Sintra Mountains above the town of Sintra. On a clear day, it can be seen far away, from the ocean and other castles on the tops of the nearby hills.
Around Pena Palace is a very beautiful, big old park with many decorations. First, we planned to visit Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira and take a bus to Cabo at about 2 pm. But we were so amazed by Pena Palace and its park that there was not enough time for another one. Pitty for they are all worth seeing. next time we would plan one day for Sintra and another one for Cascais with Cabo da Roca.
Going to Pena Palace you need a bus because it is on top of a high hill. In front of the train station stops the 434 bus that goes to Pena Palace.
It is a circle line so if you wish to see Castelo do Mouros go there first. After seeing wait for the next bus and proceed to Pena. Bus 434 and 435:
Cabo da Roca
Cabo da Roca is between Sintra and Cascais. There is no train connection between the two cities but there was Bus No. 403. It went between Sintra and Cascais with a special stop at Cabo da Roca! But!!! Unfortunately it was taken out of service in 2023.
Today the 1624 is the most recommended bus to Cabo da Roca because the journey is slightly shorter (about 35 minutes). It departs every 30 minutes throughout the day.
The photo of the opposite side from the bus stop for 434 in Sintra
Link to the info: https://www.sintraportugaltourism.com/transportation/bus-1624-and-1253-to-cabo-da-roca.html
It departs from the Portela de Sintra bus terminal, a short walk from the center of town.
Buy a ticket to Cascais and make a stopover in Cabo. You can’t miss the station because you will see the ocean and the lighthouse. And of course, because everybody goes out!
Cabo da Roca is the most western point of mainland Portugal and continental Europe. The edge of monumental cliffs offers a spectacular view over the Atlantic Ocean. Until the 14th century, it was believed to be the world’s edge.
Check the time for the next bus (about every hour). That is enough time to enjoy breathtaking views over the cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean. And easy walk on the path along the coast. Today there is a lighthouse, coffee shop, and gift shop.
Cascais
Get on the next bus 1624 in Cabo’s direction to Cascais and step down in Cascais’s centre.
Lovely Cascais is a popular seaside resort. It originated in the 1870s when King Luís I of Portugal and the Portuguese royal family made the seaside town their residence every September. Beautiful beaches, stylish villas, traditional architecture, lots of restaurants and cafes, many reasons to visit Cascais.
Take a walk along the coast and turn inside through lovely cobbled streets full of restaurants and shops.
When tired go to the train station and take the next train to Lisbon.
Stepping out of the station Cais do Sodre go a bit on the left and the opposite side to enter the famous Mercado da Ribeira. The local food market in which there is Time Out Market, the food hall. Hungry or not you will certainly have something to eat.
cost of excursion
You can choose where to start your circle tour: from Sintra or Cascais it is up to you. It is easy and very cheap with local transport. There are also organized group or private tours that you can buy if you are not comfortable with going on your own. But this one is really not complicated.
