All of our European adventures over the years have included at least one day trip. The idea of heading out of a locale on a train to spend a few hours somewhere else has always had an element of romanticism for me. Maybe it is the train ride itself, or maybe it is just that quirk in my personality that is always craving seeing something more and something new. When we booked our fall trip to Portugal last year with Lisbon as the starting point, there was no doubt that one of our day trips would be to visit Sintra. We had seen it’s Disney-esque castle in photographs and on television a few times, and I wanted to experience it first hand.

Our plans went off without a hitch, including having a spectacular October morning for our visit. After arriving in Sintra, we hopped the first bus of the day up the steep and winding Sintra mountains so we could be among the first to arrive at the Palácio da Pena. Sometimes when you travel, the expectations outstrip the experience. Not the case here. The palace, in the morning light, was stunning.

The reds, yellows and purples of the facades were mesmerizing. The palace’s colour palette is outlandish, in the best connotations of that word. The entire time we were exploring the ground here, I was smiling ear to ear, with a “pinch me, this can’t be real” feeling.

The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site and sits almost 1,800 feet above sea level. On a clear day, much like this one, you can actually see the palace all the way back in Lisbon, close to 35km away.

This is one of the most visited tourist sites in Portugal, and we planned our day to get here first and ahead of the crowds. It gave us the opportunity to enjoy the palace with a bit of breathing room and time to take in the scenery.

As two former Atlantic Canadians who miss the ocean, we took time on the back side of the palace to enjoy the views out toward the Atlantic Ocean in the distance.

On the opposite side of the palace from which you enter is a walkway along the fortress walls. The views in all directions are spectacular, including back toward the clock tower.

From this vantage point at the palace, you are also afforded a spectacular view of what would be our next stop, the Moorish Castle, just a bit down the side of the mountain.

Leaving the palace to swelling crowds, we walked along the road down the hill to the Moorish Castle. Built in the 8th and 9th centuries, it was a former strategic defence structure.

For me, I really enjoyed hiking the site along its fortification walls. Each set of steps provided what seemed to be even more spectacular views and a great workout to build my appetite for a seafood feast for the ages back in Lisbon (more on that in my next posting).

We spent quite a bit of time here, leaning against the walls, and staring off to the ocean. Here, the Sintra National Palace was immediately below.

And not to be lost in all of the beautiful scenery were the stunning views of the inner walls and the castle itself.

We’ve had some pretty spectacular day trips in Europe, but I’m not sure if any of them combined this type of architectural and landscape beauty, views and a good physical workout the way this day did. This day ended up being one of the highlights of our Portugal trip.