Around Lisbon: the best day trips

Sintra: a fairy tale village with palaces of impossible colors

Less than 30 kilometers from Lisbon, this is one of the best day trips from Lisbon. Sintra is a small town located at the foothills of the mountain range that bears its name, immersed in lush forests and with a fairly long list of monuments to visit. It is usually combined with a visit to nearby Cabo de Roca, the westernmost point of the European continent. 

Quinta da Regaleira is the most mysterious of all: a small palace with gardens that hide all kinds of secrets, with everything from caves with lakes to sculptures, including the star of the show: the initiation well. Palacio da Pena is the most emblematic, located at the top of the mountain, with its red and yellow colors that make it a very beautiful place. Also, at the top you’ll find Castelo dos Mouros, a wall that covers a good part of the mountain range. To access all of them, you can take a bus that departs from the center of the town of Sintra, where you can also find the Palacio Nacional, a symbol of Sintra thanks to its two white chimney towers. Also, don’t leave Sintra without tasting its most traditional sweet: queijadas.

Estoril and Cascais: beauty by the sea

Leaving Lisbon in the direction of Estoril is a marvel to behold: after driving by car or train along the banks of the river Tagus and with the 25 de Abril Bridge you’ll certainly agree. In a few minutes you’ll reach Estoril, famous for its Casino and for its beaches, with a lively day and night-life on the shores of its promenade. 

Following the coastline, you’ll reach Cascais, a Portuguese town with a good amount of monuments to visit, like the Museum of the Counts of Castro Guimarães or the Citadel of Cascais. And if you decide to walk a little further and leave its historic center you’ll reach one of the most important natural attractions in the area, A Boca do Inferno. You’ll get to these impressive cliffs and caves after a pleasant walk along the sea about 15 minutes from the center of Cascais.

Óbidos and its medieval wall

This is along one of the routes near Lisbon, just an hour's drive north of the city. Óbidos is a small town that is a World Heritage Site surrounded by a medieval wall and with houses in its interior dominated by white and blue, as well as the famous Portuguese tiles. Óbidos is famous for its chocolate and ginja, a liquor made with ginja cherries and a lot of sugar. The combination of both is perfect when served with chocolate copos (cups). It’s undoubtedly one of the most delicious destinations around Lisbon.

Author: Rafael Gomes

Guest Relations Supervisor of Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa Hotel

Olá! I am Rafael Gomes and I have the privilege of being the Guest Relations Supervisor of Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa Hotel. I have joined the company on December 2022, however I started as a receptionist 7 years ago and I soon realized the Hospitality business was the one I wanted to be in. I chose to venture into this position with the main goal of making our guests' stays memorable, being able to exceed their expectations and, consequently, making them loyal to our brand. It is fantastic to be able to welcome guests from all over the world on a daily basis and provide them with experiences that they will carry with them for a lifetime. I extend an invitation to all readers to visit us in the heart of Lisbon, in the city's most emblematic hotel.