Sintra - Inside the Pena Palace grounds

• This is a circular hike.
• Meet point is Palace Cafe near the Sintra train station.
• We will be entering the gardens from the main entrance of Pena Palace.
• Length: expect at least 6 hours, about 12-13km, total ascent of at least 450 meters. Difficulty: Moderate.
• Bring a good flashlight or headlamp for after sunset.
• Have an extra layer for warmth, temps will DROP after sunset.
• There are buses and tuks down if you want, typically 5 euros per person.

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

Start point Palace Cafe across from Pizza Hut, which is next to the Sintra Train station.

The goal of this hike will be to stop at the better view points of Pena Palace from inside the garden grounds: Chalet of the Countess, Tea Hill, Vale dos lagos area, Queens Chair, the highlight viewpoint for when the palace lights are on. We will exit at the main gate.

I will post my phone number the night before in the comments section.

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.

These are the 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 13h55. I will wait for this last train before starting the hike. Verify here for schedules.

https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en

There are buses and trains back to Lisbon at least once once per hour at different times. I am not sure about Cascais and Estoril after 8pm.

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 12 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.

It is not allowed to smoke and to leave any trash during the hike!
By choosing to participate the event, you agree to undertake every reasonable personal safety precaution. Organizers are not responsible for theft or damage to members’ personal property, or any accidents or medical costs incurred to participants as a result of attending events. All involvement in activities and events organized and hosted by Lisbon Hiking Meetup will be at the members’ risk.

Dan