The charms of Sintra, famously penned by Lord Byron, lie as much in its buildings as in its walks and paths ; one of the best walks leads past the church of Santa Maria and up to the ruined ramparts of the Moorish Castle (daily 10am-8pm; free), from where the views are extraordinary. Beyond the castle, a steep ninety-minute walk from town, is the lower entrance to the immense Pena Park , at the top end of which rears the fabulous PalA?cio de Pena (Tues-Sun 10am-6.30pm; a?¬2.50), a wild 1840s fantasy of domes, towers and a drawbridge that does not draw. The interior has been preserved exactly as left by the royal family on their flight from Portugal in 1910.

After the follies of Pena, a visit to Seteais and Monserrate comes as something of a relief. Seteais , just right of the Colares road, fifteen minutes' walk from town, is one of the most elegant palaces in Portugal, completed in the last years of the eighteenth century and entered through a majestic classical arch; it is now a luxurious hotel and restaurant. Beyond, the road leads past a series of beautiful private estates to Monserrate - about an hour's walk. It's difficult to do justice to the beauty of Monserrate, whose vast gardens (daily 9am-5/6pm; a?¬1), filled with endless varieties of exotic trees and subtropical shrubs and plants, extend as far as the eye can see.

Finding accommodation at Sintra in summer can be a problem, though if you arrive early in the day you should end up with something. There are a fair number of pensions: best value is probably the Adelaide , Rua Guilherme Gomes Fernandes 11 (tel 219 230 873; A?10-15/$16-24/a?¬18-27), midway between the train station and Sintra village; or try PensA?o EconA?mica , Patio de OlivenA§a 6, handy for the train station (tel 219 230 229; A?5-10/$8-16/a?¬9-18). The PensA?o Pielas (tel 219 241 691; A?10-15/$16-24/a?¬18-27), on Rua JoA?o de Deus 70-72 near the station, is not bad either and has a restaurant with budget menus. A bit further up the price scale try the Swiss-run Casa Miradouro , Rua Sotto Mayor 55 (tel 219 235 900; A?25-30/$40-48/a?¬45-54) or the Quinta Das Sequoias , on the road to Monserrat (tel 219 243 821; A?30-35/$48-56/a?¬54-63), a fairy-tale mansion that looks across beautiful woodland to the Pena Palace. Alternatively, some cheap private rooms (A?5/$8/a?¬9-A?20/$32/a?¬36) can be booked through the extremely helpful tourist office (Oct-May daily 9am-7pm, June-Sep open until 8pm; tel 219 231 157) in the centre, just off the central PraA§a da RepA?blica. There's a hostel (tel 219 241 210; A?15-20/$24-32/a?¬27-36; closed noon-6pm) at Santa Eufemia, in the hills above Sintra, 5km from town - take a local bus to SA?o Pedro from outside the train station and walk from there (2km). The nearest campsites are well out of town: the most convenient are at the beach-villages of Praia das MaA§A?s, Praia Grande and Azenhas do Mar, all connected by bus. Restaurants are generally poor value, relying heavily on the tour parties. Try Tulhas behind the turismo or the two Adega do Saloio grillhouses, at the far end of the street.