The majestic Moorish castle in Sintra would have you huffing and puffing up and down its ramparts. — Photos: ERIC KWAN
Many a time, when we visit a new country, we arrive at the main airport which is usually in the largest city. We then check into our hotel, visit the famous “you can’t say you’ve been there unless you have a photo of it” sights in that city, and either go home or move to another major city within the same country to continue our tour.
We don’t often explore the surrounding countryside.
Many things have been written about Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, and its second largest city, Porto. But not enough has been said about the sweet little towns a stone’s throw away from Lisbon.
What exactly is a stone’s throw, you ask? Well, if you rent a car or go on a bus, it would be around 30 minutes’ to an hour’s drive, even with traffic.
SINTRA: 30 minutes from Lisbon
Many Malaysians may not have heard of Sintra, a historical little town to the east of Lisbon, but they should be hearing about it.
Sintra is as old as prehistory; a Paleolithic archaeological site has been found next to its Moorish castle.
Then it was occupied by the Romans, and then the Moors, who really made Sintra a flourishing town in the 8th to 12th century. The Portuguese then retook Sintra.
Sintra has such a chequered, multi-cultural past that its narrow and winding paved roads are flanked by medieval cottages, old monasteries, churches, and the stunning Unesco World Heritage Site, the Palacio de Pena (Pena Palace). These little snippets of history peek out at you as you drive or walk through the cobbled streets, as if to flag, “Hey, look at me. I’m a reminder of this XXX era”.
You can go to Sintra on a day trip, or you may find it charming enough to spend two days there.
The Palacio de Pena is a kaleidoscope of clashing colours that would have been Barbie’s envy.
Foremost, you need to go up to the Palacio de Pena, located on the highest point of a steep hill. Public bus 434 from the town centre takes you there, but it won’t stop you at the gates of the palace itself. You still have a bit of an uphill walk through a lush forest and pretty park. So you may find yourself stopping every now and again to take an Instagram shot against the changing backdrops and stunning views of the town below.
The ticket to the palace is €21 (RM106). We went in the winter, and there were not as many people as there would be in the summer. Apparently, summer can get very crowded, and you are advised to come early, as in 8am.
Crowded or not, we still had to line up to get inside the palace. The palace itself is a relatively new addition to Sintra, being constructed in 1842. Beware of queue-cutters who don’t want to line up. Two young women tried to chat me up, then plainly inserted themselves behind me, as though they were my friends.
I called them up politely on it, however: “If you would like to go inside the palace, you can see plainly the queue behind me.”
They abruptly walked away from me, to the applause of the line behind me, and went further to the front of the line to insert themselves behind another tourist, obviously nicer and more clueless than I was.
Upon sighting this palace for the first time, you might giggle. It is almost like a fairytale castle, with its colours and turrets and curved towers. I mean, it’s yellow and red and blue. A little girl could have dreamt it and built it out of Lego.
On the very same hill, you can walk 15 minutes down to the said Moorish Castle. This is a 9th century castle that looks exactly what it was – a formidable defence fortress. I was stunned to see how vast it really was.
The battlements run up and down, and snake all across and around the crag they were perched upon. And boy, were they steep! After climbing the entire east section, I gave up on the other parts.
The highest point is the King’s Tower, which I did not go up to. But apparently, the fit young Korean couple laughing at me did.
Another major palace is the Palacio Nacional, a Gothic 15th century palace characterised by its two very tall white chimneys. Sintra has so many palaces that you may be wondering, “Am I at the right one?” Then you spot the two chimneys and sigh with relief, “Yes, I am”.
By then, the day was waning. If you want to visit each palace extensively and exhaust yourself climbing battlements, then you should opt for the two-day Sintra stay. If you have only one day, you have to choose not to visit the interiors of some.
The streets around the Palacio Nacional are filled with shops selling souvenirs and sardines. Seafood is a very big thing in Portugal, especially codfish (bacalhau). They make it in different styles, and it is among the best cod preparations in the world.
Or you can try the specialty of Sintra, the queijadas, which is a crispy, cheesy pastry tart.
Instead of visiting other Sintra palaces, we chose to go to the Cabo da Roca, the lighthouse at the most western part of mainland Europe, to watch the sun set across the roaring waves of the Atlantic.
Making cod pastry in Obidos.
OBIDOS: One hour from Lisbon
North of Lisbon, on the highway to Porto, sits Obidos, a sweet little 13th century town that will make you go “Oooh” and “Ahhh” and “I think I’m in a fairytale!”
Obidos was a gift from a king to his queen on their wedding day, and it shows. The main Obidos Castle has been turned into a hotel, but you can still wander across its battlements. What makes Obidos so visit- worthy, however, are its absolutely cute cobbled streets and the little medieval brightly painted and tiled shops, inns, churches, and restaurants that flank them.
We are talking about old town Obidos, which has two main streets. There is a more modern part of Obidos, which probably hosts most of the townspeople. But you would want to spend your day, or at least a few hours, in this old part of town.
From the moment you enter through the main gate, I guarantee that you will stop at every few feet for a photo. Everything is so cute, so medieval, so precious, and so colourful that you will be hard-pressed to find a spot that is not Insta-worthy. In fact, the main thing for you to look out for is not to bump into tourists who are stopping and exclaiming in front of you to take photos in the middle of the road.
The shopkeepers here also cash in on this medieval theme. If you enter a tavern or a bacalhau pastry shop, the servers are dressed in medieval clothing. Musicians serenade you on fiddles.
The Saint Mary’s church in Obidos.
Other than the castle, a congregation spot is Saint Mary’s Church and Square, which still functions today.
If you go in the summer, there will be a medieval market and fair which will perform medieval re-enactments and offer you medieval food and drinks.
In winter, there is a Christ-mas market.
Winter or summer, Obidos is worth your visit. Your kids usually dream of going to Disney-fied places that are made to look like these. Obidos is the real thing.
CASCAIS: 30 minutes from Lisbon
We discovered the seaside town of Cascais because we wanted to visit a friend, a former neighbour from the time we lived in Vietnam. Cascais has long been considered the holiday town of the rich, who want to escape the city on weekends to the beach or marina.
The marina at Cascais may be mistaken for a duke’s summer playground.Cascais itself has a completely different atmosphere from Lisbon, Sintra or Obidos. When I entered the seaside town, I immediately went, “Oh wow, I think I can live here”. The shops and pavements have seaside motifs: starfish and corals.
The town somewhat reminds me of Penang, but in a very European way.
There are so many restaurants, cafes, bars, and markets that you may want to spend a whole day there, just soaking in the relaxing vibes. We had lunch in a restaurant overlooking the Atlantic ocean, where they served a paella which came with a whole lobster.
You can shop at the Mercado da Vila, a traditional market that sells handicrafts and all sorts of fish. Cascais is not so much for sightseeing, like Sintra and Obidos, but for soaking and vibing in.
I visited my friend’s new home, a huge apartment overlooking a park.
“Are you happy living here?” I asked her.
“Happiest I’ve been in the last three years,” she replied. “I have everything – the sun, sea, schools, and groceries across the street.”
If you do not want to stay in the more expensive Lisbon, consider Cascais as an alternative base, because Lisbon is just a 30-minute highway drive away.
