5 Days & 4 Nights

4.6

Lisbon & Sintra Short Break

Combine vibrant Lisbon and the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park on a short break
Explore the colourful monuments of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sintra
Discover the enchanting Capuchos Convent and moon hills of Sintra
Walk the rugged coastline between Azoia and Cascais
Finish in the lovely seaside town of Cascais, and feast on some delicious seafood

Combine the captivating capital city of Portugal, Lisbon, with the beautiful coast, lush forests and hills of the Sintra Cascais Natural Park on this short walking break. The city of Lisbon, and its famous “seven hills”, is bursting with cultural heritage and amazing dining experiences, from the famed Time Out street food market to classy restaurants serving a multitude of fresh seafood dishes. Just a short hop on the train brings you to Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with tropical gardens and colourful palaces and monuments. Explore the lush green forest of the “Sintra Moon Hills” , enjoy views over golden sandy beaches and discover the impressive “cork convent” of Capuchos before overnighting in the tiny little village of Azoia. Finish in Cascais, a much-loved seaside town filled with al fresco seafood restaurants, and tiny winding alleyways.

From £715.00

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Itinerary

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Day 1 Arrive Lisbon

The captivating capital city of Portugal is one of those cities you are sure to fall instantly in love with as you wander the old cobbled streets of the Alfama neighbourhood. Dine out on delicious street food at the famous Time Out food market, climb to the top of the city’s famous “seven hills” for panoramic views, or visit the Castelo de Sao Jorge (St George’s Castle), with its amazing views over the Tegus River.

Overnight Lisbon

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Marquês Pombal Hotel | Hotel

Marquês Pombal Hotel is located in Lisbon with exception adesign, excellent service and modern rooms. Free Wi-Fi, 24-hour reception, a restaurant and bar are all available on site.

Day 2 Transfer to Sintra; Sintra Palaces & Monuments Loop Walk 6 miles / 10 km

A scenic transfer (duration: 45min) will bring you from Lisbon to Sintra this morning. On arrival in Sintra, drop off your luggage at your accommodation then the rest of the day is dedicated to discovering the extravagant palaces, manor houses, and castle of Sintra. The first stop is the amazing Castel dos Mouros (Moors Castle), which sits right atop the hill and offers amazing views over Sintra.

Continue on foot, following a peaceful wooded trail uphill to the Pena Palace, with its impressive multi-colored turrets, dramatic architecture, and exotic gardens. If you have time we also recommend visiting the Quinta Regaleira, a lavish mansion and former home to Portuguese nobility. With its enchanting, tropical gardens and many hidden caves, tunnels, and wells, you can easily spend a few hours here.

Please note that entrance fees to the above are not included to keep your day flexible, and we recommend booking in advance to avoid the sometimes long entrance queues. The distance detailed is also only to the entrance gates of the attractions - you will actually walk quite a bit further by the time you have walked around all of them! A shorter 6km loop is therefore available should you wish to opt for this instead.

Long Loop Walk - Elevation: +400m/+1,312ft
Short Loop Walk - Elevation: +300m/+984ft

Overnight Sintra

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Villa Bela Vista | Hotel

A beautiful renovated building with elegant decor. Villa Bela Vista is a boutique hotel located in the historic centre of Sintra, where rooms come with spectacular views of the National Palace and beyond.

Day 3 Transfer to Capuchos Convent, Walk to Azoia 7 miles / 11 km

Today you will explore Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. A short transfer (duration: 20min) will take you to the Convento dos Capuchos (Capuchos Convent), a classic example of an austere 16th-century Franciscan monastery, that you can visit before starting your walk. Continue through the picturesque Sintra hills to the shrine that is dedicated to the Virgin Mary of Peninha. The Santuário da Peninha is a remote and isolated chapel that stands up atop a craggy rock outcrop and has a dramatic location, which provides spectacular views over the entire Sintra coastline.

After passing Peninha, the trail continues through the lush vegetation of the park, with occasional glimpses of the coastline and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. As you descend towards Azoia, you will notice some typical villages and lookout points along the way, where you can stop and take in the breathtaking scenery. Azoia itself is a charming village with a few restaurants and cafes and marks the end of this stage.

Elevation: +400m/+1,312ft

Overnight Azóia

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Quinta Vale da Roca | 3 Star | Hotel

This gorgeous hotel features an infinity pool with views of the ocean. The architecture, rich in wood and stone, coincides nicely with its locating within a forest, with a vineyard nearby. Each room is named after a different wine grape. Enjoy a beverage while looking out at the sea or their garden. The property has panoramic views over Guincho Beach, Cascais and the Atlantic Ocean.

Day 4 Walk from Azoia to Guincho Beach, Transfer to Cascais 5 miles / 9 km

Leave Azoia and the “Serra da Sintra” this morning and return to the rugged coastline, following winding paths on the GR11 to the 17th-century fort “Fortaleza de Guincho” (now a hotel). From here, it is a very easy walk following a path between the road and the ocean, passing lighthouses and interesting cliff formations to reach Guincho Beach. From here you will receive a short transfer (duration: 15min) to your hotel in Cascais.

Elevation: +200m/+656ft

You may wish to opt for an extra night here, allowing you to have a free day to rest or explore the spectacular seaside town of Cascais and its trio of bays.

Overnight Cascais

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Hotel Baia | 3 Star | Hotel

The Hotel Baía Cascais is a family-run hotel located in the village of Cascais, right by the sea. It has views over the beautiful Cascais Bay (at the front) and the town center (at the back), with the Serra de Sintra as a backdrop. Enjoy evening meals in their beautiful restaurant serving up a varied menu of Portuguese cuisine, while enjoying sea views.

Day 5 Onward Travel

THIS TRIP'S CARBON SCORE

This trip has a carbon score of 18kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 18kg is equivalent to 1 8-oz steak. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.

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Other Information

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Is it for me?

Perfect if you are short of time and would perhaps like to extend or combine a trip to Lisbon with some beautiful walking. Follow a variety of paved trails, clifftop paths and forest trails. There are some significant elevations gains in the Sintra hills, but nothing too challenging. You will stay overnight in boutique hotels and guesthouses.

Trip Type:

Slower Adventures | Where walking and cycling meet easy-going exploring, our Slower Adventures are the perfect combination. Most days are filled with picturesque journeys with some free time to dive into the destination and experience the people, local food and culture as you go.

Activity:

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers, Families with Teens

The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Short Break

Coastal Walking

Grade & Terrain

This trip is graded ‘moderate’ overall and you should be in good physical fitness to fully enjoy the walking on this tour. The route follows a mixture of gravel trails and forest paths and daily ascents are between 210m and 500m.

Experience & Fitness

This route is suitable for most regular walkers of average fitness. You should train by walking some daily walks of similar daily distances to your planned itinerary.

Accommodation & Meals Navigation What's Included

Included

4 nights in boutique hotels and charming guesthouses
Breakfast at each accommodation
Door-to-door baggage transfer as per itinerary
Transfers as per itinerary
Detailed Information Pack
GPX tracks and access to our smartphone app
24/7 telephone support from our UK office

Excluded

Travel insurance (required)
Travel to Lisbon and from Cascais
Lunches, dinners, drinks and Snacks
Personal equipment
Entrance Fees

Extras

Additional nights before, during and after the walk
Transfer from Cascais to the airport on the final day

When to go Travel & Transfers

Getting to the Start

Lisbon Airport is easily accessed by direct flights from across the UK, Europe and several cities in the US. Major airlines who fly there include American Airlines, TAP, British Airways, Easyjet and Ryanair amongst others.

By Rail: If you are travelling to Lisbon from elsewhere in Portugal or Spain, it is also easily accessed by rail. A train from Porto to Lisbon takes 3 hours. View rail timetables at the Comboios de Portugal website.

Getting from the End

It is very easy to get between Cascais and Lisbon Airport. Take the train to Casa do Sodre station in Lisbon (40min) and then catch the bus to the airport (20min).

Baggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation, giving you the freedom to walk each day with just a day pack. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person. Please ensure that you do not bring more than one bag of 20kg as if this occurs, you may be asked to pay an additional fee for an extra bag.

At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase. Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person. It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.

Info & FAQ

General Information

The distances and ascents/descents are approximations of the recommended routes.

Equipment

Please be prepared by packing all necessary items. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list, which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

How far in advance do I need to book? What equipment do I need? What happens if I can't walk a stage? How fit do I need to be? When is the best time of year?

Sintra to Cascais

This self-guided walking holiday takes you through the Sintra Cascais Natural Park, following beautiful and rugged coastal paths and inland trails with stops to explore the exquisite palaces, castles and monasteries of this stunning part of Portugal.