Sintra, Portugal was OUR place. We found paradise, rocky coastline hikes, private beaches and walls to climb. Tucked away in the quiet, lush community of Ulgueira, we were perfectly positioned to explore the Moorish Castles in the city of Sintra, the coastline of Praia de Macas or hike the scenic coastline from our airbnb to Cabos de Rocas ( The Point of Rocks). The Moorish Castle/fortress history was intriguing as we tried to imagine the life back in the 8th and 9th century. Imagine our surprise, when we happened upon a small sport climbing area with plenty of bolts on granite slabs while hiking through the castle area. We were pretty sure the Moors had nothing to do with this. The approach was easy and we spent an enjoyable couple of hours exploring the wall.
The hiking in Sintra was always up and down and we appreciated the aerobic push. Our favorite hike (Praia de Ursa) was from our cottage to a coastline overlook and down down a narrow rocky path to a wild and rugged secluded section of the coastline. The hike back up took us to a stunning, and very windy view at the Point (Cabos do Rocas). The exploration and hiking possibilities just around our casa were never ending.
While we loved the secluded beach areas, we also enjoyed the energy of the bigger beach towns of Cascais and Praia de Macas. There was food, Sangria, big waves and LOTS of sun bathing Portuguese. On our way to Cascais, we discovered what must be a mecca for hungry, speed chasing kite surfers. The wind is so strong and consistent in this area, that beautiful golden dunes form in the sand and the surfers are spinning and racing through the waves at lighting speeds. Like a drug, they chase their addiction to speed and challenge for hours at a time….and there are lots of them out there seemingly stacked so close together they could tangle at any moment.
Food in Portugal was always interesting and a bit of an adventure for us. Will tasted lots of different fish and, once, we had the Sardines, we were hooked (no pun intended). We ate everywhere from VERY traditional cafes to our favorite food truck in Sintra. The food truck was operated by a petite French woman with BIG ambitions and LOTS of positive energy. We quickly became loyal fans of her nouveau cuisine food truck and might admit it was our favorite food. Yummy salads, pizza and other intriguing offerings held our attention.
Sintra was special. While we loved exploring many areas of Portugal, this was our favorite. Anyone who plans to visit should contact us for details and recommendations. Tchau Portugal!!
