Discover Portugal

You could easily survive four solid days in Lisbon on pastéis de nata and vinho verde – the iconic custard tarts and the sharp ‘green’ wine are everywhere in the Portuguese capital, and are well worth the indulgence. They were the only items I had on my to-eat list when I arrived on a late night flight to spend a long weekend in some much needed sunshine. But Lisbon’s food scene is vibrant yet still traditional at its heart; very much flourishing and I completely underestimated it....

Of course you do. A day trip to Sintra from Lisbon is, after all, one of the most well known excursions from the Portuguese capital city, thanks to the colourful facades of Pena Palace, but we’ll get to that in due course. I’m not here to give you a detailed history of the ancient buildings of Sintra – you can find that anywhere online, however there are a few key tips that you should keep in mind to retain your sanity in amongst the throngs of tourists all headed in the same direction as...