The weather may be changeable, but spring flowers are going strong - from the Atlantic coast to the parks of Sintra you can see examples of stunning wild flowers as well as wisteria, camellias, azaleas and Rhododendrons in full bloom. 

If you are in the Lisbon area this spring, hop on a train to Sintra - bring a camera, jump on a no sweat bike tour and have a great day out!
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A couple of days ago we were sent a wonderful little picture taken near the Pena Palace in Sintra, around 1890.

The caption on the photo had the following in Portuguese:

"On the picture from left to right
José de Mello, José de Sena, the Marchioness of Beautiful, Afonso, Benjamin Pinto, the Queen Mother Maria Pia (roughly in her 50's) and Alfredo Albuquerque on a bicycle outing in the Serra de Sintra.

I am told that this ride was on the road from Cascais to Colares, after Malveira, Alcabideche en route to Penha Longa, through the pine forest and then Estoril, returning by road from Sintra.

It seems that these trips were frequent in 1893."

If those sturdy ladies and gents in bloomers and on single speed bicycles enjoyed it so, image the fun of being able to cycle the Sintra hills without breaking a sweat.  Recreate their rides in a part of the world that has thankfully been keep very much as it was all those years ago!

Some of the unique fine art pieces and palaces in Sintra are now on available for online viewing thanks to Google's Art Project. At at time when people are unable to travel due to Corona virus restrictions, that's pretty cool!

That's right, you can now see a selection of some of the signature artworks from the comfort of your desk chair or mobile device.  

Google's tool offers you a chance to scan through works of art from around the world and perhaps find the one that you find most engaging, so you know exactly what to look for and make the most of your precious travel time.  

It is also a godsend to all those who are for any reason unable to travel physically to witness first hand such artistic delights.

If this all seems a little too digital and inane and you are more of a tactile person, then take the trip out to Sintra and see these splendid artworks for yourself. 

The updated facilities of the Moorish Castle in Sintra make the visit more fun for everyone from couples to families travelling to Sintra. Coffee shops, panoramic views, access to recently uncovered silos and areas of archaeological research, as well as a shop, availability of binoculars, and completely renovated paths. The Moorish castle is more engaging than ever, but still offering the best views in Sintra.  Choose the most enjoyable way to get around and cycle up to the Castle on our King of the Hill, No Sweat e-Bike Tour. 

We have had a lot of people ask us what an E-Bike is really all about - Is it not cheating? Where is the throttle? How fast can I go? Here's what you need to know.

In short, the E Bike makes hilly rides accessible to unseasoned riders, and allows seasoned riders to enjoy all the fun of cycling, without breaking a sweat - which is great if you want to visit multiple destinations on your day out without walking around in your cycle gear!  I say this as a seasoned mountain biker who loves nothing more that hitting the Sintra trails.

Our electric bicycles have been very carefully chosen to be easy and comfortable to ride along the scenic but sometimes steep and windy roads around Sintra.  With a low centre of gravity and wide, 26" tires, our e-Bikes offer a great cycling experience to riders of any level.

Why go electric?  Because it's fun, clean and easy!  The added power means you can easily cover any of our tour routes in a day, allowing plenty of time to visit the beautiful parks, palaces and monuments in between - all without breaking a sweat.

Sintra: a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the most attractive royal towns in Portugal and certainly one of the most popular destinations.  

When the monarchs first put Sintra on the map, in their bid to escape the summer heat of Lisbon, cars were not even a distant dream - today they can be a real world nightmare in the town center.

If you are visiting from Lisbon for the day, consider taking a train to Sintra and going on foot instead of driving.  

If walking is not your favorite thing, you can always take the 434 bus to visit the beautiful Pena Palace and Moorish castle. Be warned that in summer time the 434 bus queue can be such that some visitors have to wait for the next bus.

Without any doubt though, the most environmentally conscious way to explore is on foot.

But the most enjoyable way to cover the distance between the parks and palaces is by bicycle! With an electric assisted E-bike, you get the all the fun and freedom of cycling without the effort of pedal pushing up the hills of Sintra, and you will have no trouble at all to find parking.  Enjoy!

Autumn and winter may be the very best time to visit Sintra! Sounds far fetched? Not really - here are 4 reasons why you should visit Sintra this winter:

1) Less People
These days it's hard to find a beautiful destination that no else has found yet and when the sun is out, so is everybody else.  The cooler temperatures of autumn and winter mean that sun chasers simply head to the tropics, leaving wonderful locations that have a lot more to offer than just the summer heat free for you to explore at your leisure.

2) Less Traffic 
Whether you like to walk, run or cycle on your travels, less people also means less traffic; less tour buses and fewer clusters of packaged tourists flocking about and that means more space and freedom for you. If you're a cyclist, low season means "low traffic" becomes "no traffic" and you can have the roads and lanes of Sintra to yourself.

3) Lower Prices
From flights and hotels to tour operators and outfitters, you can get great deals by picking low season travel dates to Sintra.  Almost all hotels and airlines offer substantial discounts on their standard rates.  Once you factor in lower prices and less crowds and hassle, you can be onto a great deal just for choosing to enjoy your vacation when everyone else is not.

4) Unique Sights
Naturally not all destinations are ideal for visiting during the fall, but Sintra is certainly one of them - ancient moss covered walls, mist shrouded palaces and cascading waterfalls are all part of the low season scenery.  If you want to go beyond the ordinary holiday snaps, some of the most exquisite sights can really only be seen during autumn and winter.

If you have been to Sintra in the Fall or Winter, get in touch and let us know what you thought!