Different things happen when parents let the kids guide them through beautiful Sintra. They are all about nostalgia: the street car that embraces a long distance fate through Colares and other stunning villages, to end by the ocean at the beaches of Maçãs and Praia Grande, the pleasures of the natural pools of Azenhas do Mar and the mandatory points of visit of Sintra itself (Castelo dos Mouros, Palácio da Pena, Palácio Nacional de Sintra) At Parque de Monserrate, the kids adore the Quintinha Pedagógica where they learn all there is to know about life in the countryside though set in a luxurious and magical little palace. Or the sumptuous complex of Palácio da Regaleira, with its misteries and secrets. Youngsters are into new things and Oficina de Ciência de Sintra or Centro Interativo Sintra Mitos e Lendas are there to meet the challenge, along with the NewsMuseum a great journey around journalism, what is right, wrong, true and fake. And if the kids are still not tired, do try Museu do Ar, at Pêro Pinheiro. We woudn’t ask to stay at Lawrence’s (at least we would not do it on purpose…) but Sintra has grown in the last two decades as a destiny of enchanted estates turned into charming hotels. New things cope well with history in good old Sintra: don’t leave without a visit to 150 years old Casa Piriquita and try the amazingly sweet travesseiros and queijadas, apart from the great restaurants in and around town.
