Inside the Pena Palace grounds

Pena Palace in Christmas lights.

Details

• Meeting point is the 434 bus stop next to the Sintra train station.
• These are the train times I found, please check yourself.
• There is train leaving Lisbon Rossio station at 13h01 arriving in Sintra at 13h41.
• There is a train leaving Oriente station at 13h08 arriving at Sintra at 13h52.

--> I also expect to go into Pena on Wednesday evening, the weather forecast looks good. But that day is not free to enter. It will cost 10 euros.

I will wait until I believe people have made it to the bus station from this last train before we catch the next 434 bus up. Verify here for schedules. https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en

This year the Parks of Sintra have decorated Pena Palace with Christmas lights. Tomorrow I will be going in to see what images I can get. The sunset will be 17h15, the lights should come on about 17h30 to 17h45. That leaves us a little over an hour to get Pena with Christmas lighting.

We will be entering the gardens from the main entrance of Pena Palace.
Our walk will be about 5-7km with at least 200m elevation gain on the route. Expect at least 4 hours.

The weather forecast looks ok for Sunday. There are some expected showers in the afternoon, and by 5pm most should be over. Sunset is at 5:15pm, we have to be off the palace grounds by 7pm.

The goal of this event is to stop at highlight points inside the Pena Palace grounds: Chalet of the Countess, Tea Hill, Vale dos Lagos area, Queens Chair, and the view point above the Queens Chair.

Have an extra layer for warmth, temps will DROP as the sun goes down. Some rain gear is advised for tomorrow. Bring some water and something to snack on. There are buses and tuks down, typically 4-5 euros per person.

Sundays are now free for residents of Portugal, you must bring proof you are a resident. If you don't have proof or are not a resident you will need to purchase a 10€ ticket for the Pena Palace gardens only. We will not go in the Palace itself.

We will exit at the main gate, we must be out by 7pm.

I will post my phone number the night before.

Weather forecast: https://www.ipma.pt/pt/otempo/prev.localidade.hora/index.jsp#Lisboa&Sintra

Weather Note - The Sintra mountains are a micro climate, it can be sunny in other places around Lisbon but have different weather around Sintra. Plan for higher winds, cooler temps, possible fog, and maybe little rain or drizzle.

There are trains back to Lisbon at least once once per hour at different times. I am not sure about Cascais and Estoril after 8pm for buses.
If you want to come separately by car, there is a free parking lot at Av Dr. Álvaro de Vasconcelos 13, 2710-420 Sintra. It is about 500 meters from the Cafe. There are other free places to park - I can direct you to..

Limited to 10 participants. Pack some food and water.
If you change your mind about coming, then it is helpful to change your RSVP, so another member can participate.

Disclaimer:
By joining this group or participating in any activity of the group, you understand that the organizers are not liable for any inconvenience, loss, theft or harm, and you commit to taking and following your own safety precautions. You also commit to behaving respectfully and kindly with other participants, and to be respectful of all people when making photographs in public spaces.

Dan