Peppered with wealthy people, expensive real estate, and expat community, Sintra is synonymous to splendour. It is home to three palaces and a castle and one of the most expensive municipalities in the Iberian Peninsula. The affluent district is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, and need I say a popular tourist destination.
Only 31 km west of bustling Lisbon, with 30 km of coastline, this seaside village feels like a completely different world. The green of the Sintra mountains framing the azure blue Atlantic Ocean makes for a stunning landscape.
Cascais is like a one-stop shop for vacationers. Beaches, museums, history, culture, sports, stories about spies, food, shopping, you name it, the historic village has it.
Bright, yellow trams rattle along the streets shoulder to shoulder with buses. Stunning views of 16thcentury monuments in Manueline style characterize the skyscape. A vast stretch of tropical garden, buildings with colorful-tiled facades, and distinctive museums dot the landscape. The river Tagus studded with 25th of April bridge, the Christ the King statue – inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue of Rio de Janeiro – at the far end, and celebrated eateries make up Belem, the culture capital of Lisbon.