The Romantic Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal

On April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Portugal7 Comments

We took a single day trip outside of Lisbon during our recent trip that included visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site, Pena Palace. We definitely recommend adding a trip to Sintra on your itinerary when visiting Lisbon as it is well worth the time that it takes. We pre-purchased the tickets, which we would recommend, and visitors are only allowed to enter at the start of the hour that you are assigned for your ticket. Even though the number of visitors per hour are limited, it is extremely busy and you will find yourself in a line as you walk through the palace.

The palace was originally a monastery that was converted to a palace in the 19th century and the monks moved to the monastery that is located in the Belém neighborhood of Lisbon. One of the unique things about the palace are the multiple colors of the palace with the original chapel being red and then the new additions to the palace being bright yellow. The palace is a Romanticist castle and sits atop one of the high hills of the Sintra mountain with the town of Sintra sitting below. The castle can be seen from the distance, making for quite a stunning site as you approach from the parking area below.

Our guide took us in towards the end of the group entering during our allotted time in order to give more time to talk to us about the history of the castle and describe some of the interesting features. Considering the lines moving through the rooms, it actually worked out well to be near the rear of the line. Of the many things that we saw during the tour was a detailed stained-glass window in the chapel that has the king holding a miniature image of the cathedral and if you zoom in on the window of the chapel it actually has the stained-glass window in it. That type of detail is truly amazing and a testament to the workmanship of the artists that created the stained-glass window.

Stained-Glass (Chapel in the Glass Circled in Red)

It takes a little over an hour to walk through the palace and enjoy the views from the balconies. Despite the long line and having to slowly follow the crowd through the palace rooms, it was definitely worth spending the time at Pena Palace. We would recommend visiting the palace in the morning and then heading into the town of Sintra for some lunch afterwards. A trip to Sintra is often combined with a visit to Cascais as well, which is a wonderful resort town on the coast of the ocean.

The Tower of Belém and the Monument of the Discoveries in Lisbon, Portugal

On March 28, 2024March 28, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn PortugalLeave a comment

There are many neighborhoods in Lisbon that have sites of particular interest and Belém is certainly one of them. Lisbon is a port city and during the height of Portugal’s history when many explorers left Portugal from the ports of Belém to discover routes throughout the world. During that time, often referred to as the Age of Discoveries, ships would depart from the Tagus River and out to the Atlantic Ocean to either go south towards Africa or west to the Americas. Of the many sites to see in Belém, the Tower of Belém and the Monument of the Discoveries on the shore of the Tagus River are certainly among them.

The Tower of Belém was actually originally built on an island in the middle of the Tagus River, but after the earthquake of 1755, the river was diverted, and the tower now sits on the shoreline of the river. Depending on the tide, the tower is either surrounded by water or sand and during our visit the tide was out and people were able to walk around the base of the tower. It was built as a fortification and is the ceremonial gateway to Lisbon and is considered a symbol of Portugal’s prominence and power during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Not far from the tower is the Monument of the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos), which is a popular spot for tourists to take photographs on the shore of the river. Built in 1939 and opening in 1940, the monument also celebrates the Age of Discovery when Portuguese ships and explorers left to trade with Asia. The monument depicts a ship with all of the various explorers looking forward towards the bow of the ship as it sails forward to explore the world.

Crowds Queuing for the Inside of the Tower

There are several places to visit when spending time in Belém and these two are literally the tip of the iceberg, but they are definitely worthwhile even if just to enjoy a nice walk along the river. We had just landed in Lisbon about three hours before taking a car from our hotel to visit Belém, which was a perfect way to start our time in Lisbon. There was a long queue to enter the tower, so we decided just to walk around the outside, although it was definitely impressive even just from the outside. We spent about four hours in Belém on our first day, but we did return for a second day later during our stay.

Castelo de Sao Jorge (Castle of St. George) in Lisbon, Portugal

On March 26, 2024March 26, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Portugal5 Comments

The Castelo de Sao Jorge is clearly visible from almost every location in the old town section of Lisbon, which is called Alfama. Visiting the castle is certainly a highlight of any visit to Lisbon, whether to walk along the castle walls or to see the amazing views of the city. There have been different fortresses on the hilltop throughout the centuries, but the current castle is built in the gothic style and is probably over 700 years old. As with all locations in Lisbon, it was damaged in the great earthquake of 1755, but has been completely rebuilt.

Portugal Flag on one of the Castle Towers

It is obviously a popular location for tourists to visit and adult tickets cost 15 euros per person. You can get a guided tour of the castle, but we chose to tour the castle on our own. We spent about an hour and a half walking the castle walls, the grounds, and looking at the view of the city below. Lisbon is a city built on several steep hills and is known as the city of seven hills, although it certainly feels like more than seven. We recommend starting your day by taking a car to the castle and touring its grounds and then walking down the narrow streets to the enjoy the shops and restaurants located in the old town area. If you prefer to walk up the streets to the castle, be aware that it can be somewhat strenuous.

We visited the neighborhood of Alfama several times during our week-long visit to Lisbon and ate at several wonderful restaurants located there. One of the places that we enjoyed the most was a small cafe that is nestled next to the castle walls and reminded us very much of when we visited The Alhambra in Granada, Spain. It was also the first place where we enjoyed a glass of Ginjinha, which is a liqueur made by infusing ginja berries (sour cherries) in alcohol. It is quite delicious, but be careful as you don’t taste the alcohol and it can sneak up on you.

In addition to all of the tourists, you will also find many peacocks wondering around the grounds, but be careful as they are known to bite if they feel threatened. They were also at the restaurant, Mercearia Castelo, where we drank Ginjinha and ate a snack. Our waiter actually fed one of the peacocks who seemed quite pleased to get a snack as well. Visiting Castelo de Sao Jorge was one of the first sites that we visited while we were in Lisbon, and it was certainly a great start to our trip.