Tivoli Sintra Hotel

“ Although we liked the hotel, we were shocked at how expensive the food and drink is. Be aware that most of the restaurants and bars in Sintra are charging well over the going rate. 5 euros for a small beer in the hotel, whereas in a 4 star hotel in Lisbon they are 2.50.

I found the staff in the restaurant a bit creepy to tell the truth. At the buffet breakfast, which is plentiful and varied, the staff would be forever trying to clear the table while you are eating or using a plate. This maybe attentiveness in their eyes, but it is annoying having to guard your food while you are eating. We did try the restaurant at night for a meal once. I had to send my prawn meal back as they had not been cleaned and the guts were black. Be aware also that the chef has a thing for chervil, and laces the scrambled egg with it, which gives it a taste that stays with you for the rest of the day.

If you choose to drink in the hotel bar, you may find that for most of the night it tends to be unmanned, as the barman will wander off, usually outside to chat to other staff members.

The rooms on the whole are fine. There is a fridge with a minibar, which you don't want to take anything out of as the prices are horrendous. Handy for putting a bottle of your own water in though. The staff will give you extra pillows and blankets if you need them, and the chambermaid makes up the rooms everyday. It is not exactly deep cleaned, as the mirror on the wall was never touched for the week that we were there. You are provided with mini toiletries in a basket, which looks nice, but they smell a bit overpoweringly lemony. There is also a hairdrier attached to the wall.

If you chose to have a village view I would advise you to take earplugs with you, as the village clock does chime every quarter of an hour, and then adds the hourly chimes on top.

The hotel is very handy to reach all parts of Sintra, and has its own garage, which you need as it is nearly impossible to park in the village, as day trippers come most days and it gets very busy during the day. The bar and restaurant have wonderful views of the countryside and village houses, and the sea can be seen in the distance. It's worth staying there just for that.

The hotel has a gym, which I only found on the last day!

“ Top Tip: Hint - Sintra is a windy place and is colder than other parts of Portugal. The clothing that is sold in the local shops consists of jumpers made of thick wool!
Must sees - Pena Palace. You need a day for this, comfortable shoes, water and food. You can take the tourist bus which leaves from the tourist information centre and diagonally opposite the toy museum. You want to be on the same side of the road as the main square. Go early, it opens at 9.30am, as it does get busy and really windy as the day goes on. It is worth the climb to the top of the mountain to see the cross and the wonderful views back to the Palace. A word of warning. The inside of the Palace is a bit neglected, as are the exterior walls. Go and see it before it falls down! The gardens have lots of features to see, lots of stone thrones - A must do is sitting on the Queens throne to look back on the Palace - fantastic view.

The food and drink in the canteen are very limited, so if you have special food needs, or you dont like sandwiches, take your own packed lunch.

Visit the Quinta da Regaleira after you have visited Pena, or you will be disappointed with Pena. Quinta is a short walk up the hill past Lawrences then bear right at the junction. It is a pleasant walk and you will pass a tiled fountain on the way. I cannot give enough praise to Quita. Firstly it was only 6 euros to get in, nearly half of the price of Pena. Secondly it was like a real palace, and beautifully maintainted by the local council. The only disappointment is that the staircase that is shown on the leaflet is not there. The gardens are just wonderful, and a much easier climb than Pena. The Terrace of the Gods is a joy to walk down, and they even have benches to take it all in. I dont like enclosed spaces, but if caves dont phase you, take a torch with you as there is a labyrinth of caves and tunnel under the mountain to explore. The cafe is good too.

Sintra cheesecakes are I was told a must to try. There are 6 in a white paper roll for about 3.50 euros. They are a hard pastry shell with a very sweet and fatty filling. Try them to say you have done, but not if you are diabetic, cos they are loaded with sugar and syrup. Way too sweet.

Food in general in the Sintra area is over sweet, expensive, and luke warm. I asked at xantra restaurant why the soup was luke warm, and was told that the Portuguese like to be able to eat their food straight way. I had a struggle to get them to heat food and drink up enough so that it tasted right and the bacteria was killed off.

On the whole you have to fight to get served in the cafes on the square, and then when you do the waiter will walk away while you are giving him your order. e.g 2 beers please and .... by that time they have gone, as they seem to think that they know what you want!

Be aware that the food is usually underseasoned, and we had to take salt and pepper around with us to make it taste of anything. A lot of places don't even put condiments the table, so you have to ask, others dont even have any. We took the small airlines size packet around just in case.

Nice place to eat, but really expensive, Cafe de Paris right on the square opposite Sintra Palace. Done out with lots of mirrors and chandeliers. Not bad service too, but the price for 2 for 2 course and a bottle of wine works out 70 euros. It was the one place we ate that I didnt have an upset stomach afterwards. Pretty food and actually hot! Desserts are pretentious, as too many bowls used for something that could be presented as one thing, not 3 or more.

Sintra palace is right on the doorstep in the square. If you go in before 1pm then it's free admission, after that it's 5 euros. The main hall has a real wow factor as you enter, and the tiling on the walls and ceiling is amazing. As the room is on a corner is has fantastic views of all it surveys! It only takes an hour to go round, and well worth the time. You can see the kitchens and the chimneys from inside too.



There is a small train that takes you round Sintra. It leaves about every 30 minutes from the village square. We did observe the pony and traps going round, but having seen the horses struggling on the cobblestones and hill, decided that it wasnt kind to encourage this practice.

Driving in Portugal is a nightmare. They are irratic and will do things that you would never consider drivers doing. Be on your guard all the time. Motorbikes are the worse as they will come right alongside you very close, and it doesnt matter that you might be turning into their path. Roadsigns are not very good either, you will directed half of a route, and then the signs disappear. You take your life in your hands in this part of the world, and we have driven in one of the worse countries in the world, Dubai, and this was worse.

Tip- If you are looking for shoes and your feet are more than a size 6, 39, then forget it as Portuguese women have very small feet , and shoe shops sizes start at a size 2, and go to a 5.

Not worth a visit - Sintra Shopping Centre. Boring and hard to get in and out of. Better to go to Cascais shopping centre where all the chains are, and the food hall is cheap. Its the best place to eat, and there is a good variety of foods at sensible prices. Clean toilets too.

Sintra has no evening entertainment. It is a bar and restaurant type of village, and not the place to find acts or discos. The cave bar next to Cafe de Paris is the only place that I heard music coming from later on at night, and its where all the younger people go.