Make your own way to Sintra and your hotel, located just outside Sintra’s town centre. Sintra is a picturesque town in the pine-covered hills of the Serra de Sintra. In 1995, UNESCO classified the area a World Heritage Cultural Landscape, the first to receive this category in Europe. Overnight Sintra. Note: Reception at our usual hotel is open until 7pm - if you are arriving later than this time please let us know at the time of booking.

Meals:  Nil

Your walking tour today takes in the three most prominent monuments of Sintra: Castelo de Mouro (Castle of the Moors), Palacio da Pena and the Palacio Nacional. To start, there's a steep ascent to the Moorish castle and the colourful palace of King Ferdinand, followed by a walk in the vast palace grounds. You then descend steeply and continue via Vila Sasseti to the town centre of Sintra, where you'll find the Palacio Nacional, the main residence of Portugal's royal nobility from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Overnight in Sintra. Distance: 9km/5.5mi, +475m -475m

Meals:  B

Today you leave the crowds behind, with a transfer at 9:30am to the Convento dos Capuchos, a classic example of an austere 16th-century Franciscan monastery, which you can visit before heading off for your walk. The walking route leads you through mystical Mediterranean woodlands, past hillside menhirs and the shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary of Peninha. You then descend to Azoia and take the bus back to Sintra and your hotel. Distance: 11.5 km/7 mi, +425m -500m

Meals:  B

In the 19th and early 20th centuries a Romantic wind blowing through Europe was strongly felt in Sintra. Within a few square kilometres you will find extravagant palaces and mansions built by nobles and wealthy merchants, most of which are still occupied or in use as luxury hotels, many of which you can visit. Overnight in Sintra. Distance 7.5km/4.7mi, +250-374m -300-425m

Meals:  B

Today you leave the wealth and romance of Sintra behind as you walk north through fields, vineyards and pine forests toward the rugged coast. In the pretty fishing village of Azenha do Mar, you pick up the GR11 trail and follow it south to your beachfront hotel on the "Praia Grande" in Colares. Distance 15km/9mi, +225 m -485m

Meals:  B

From your hotel you follow the long-distance walking path, the GR11 "Costa Atlantica", heading south along fishermen’s trails towards the village of Ulgueira. There are beautiful views of the Cabo de Roca - the westernmost point of the European continent - and nice sandy beaches along the way. After a drink or ice cream in Ulgeira, you return to Praia Grande and your hotel via a different route which passes through the authentic village of Almoçageme. Distance: 12.7km/7.9mi, +500m -575m

Meals:  B

Your last walking day begins with a transfer at 9:30am to Azoia, where you pick up the GR11 and follow it along the coast to the 17th-century fortress of "Fortaleza de Guincho", now a luxury hotel, with views over Praia do Guincho. You can stop off part way (after 8 km and approximately 2.5-3 hrs walking) and take the bus directly to Cascais, or walk an additional 9.5 km all the way to your hotel (footpath between the road and beach). Overnight in Cascais. Distance: 8 or 17.5km/5 or 11mi, +175 -375m or +275m -475m

Meals:  B

Your trip concludes after breakfast. You can travel back to Lisbon by public transport (one hour) or by private transfer - please ask for our rates.

Meals:  B