Sintras: Like A Real-Life Fairy Tale

You know that quintessential image of a brightly colored magical castle at the top of a mountain, accessed by steep winding roads that bob and weave up the side of a cliff? It exists in Sintras. Alyson said it best: “This is the best day ever.”


Because so much of Portugal is somewhat remote (which is a plus, mind you), we decided to rent a Smart car and explore the majestic castles, seaside resorts and remote beaches in style. Alyson was in love with it. Seriously seriously in love with it. So much so that she contemplated marrying it. Seriously.



We drove into teeny tiny town via a teeny tiny access road, which almost immediately began to weave up toward the castle in traditional switchback form. After waiting in life for 20 minutes (only one ticket window was open, which seems to be a theme in both Spain and Portugal), we continued our upward trek on foot, reaching the gates out of breath but enticed by the fact that we beat a couple of seniors to the top (though not by much). It was, as you’d imagine, breathtaking. Words cannot quite capture it, so here are some pictures instead! A must-see.








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Kyle Taylor