Europe

Train Ride out of Lisbon, Anyone?

March 7, 2018 /

You already know that Portugal is a sunny paradise. Warm temperatures, friendly locals, and cheap spirits. However, Lisbon, Portugal, also offers train routes that can literally take you anywhere! Well maybe not anywhere, Mars is a pretty long ways off. So, after a few days in central Lisbon, I wondered what else I could see. I found my answer in three different destinations, each only a short train ride away. As the saying goes, “When in Portugal..”

Carcavelos: The Local Residents’ Beach of Choice

This was perhaps the most tricky destination to get to because it involved taking TWO trains. We missed our connection train by 30 seconds. In case you were wondering, that’s the same amount

of time it takes pure disappointment to settle in your heavy beach bag as you stand there and wait for the next train. We were told this is the beach that all of the locals go to, and we were not disappointed. There were so many people in bright bathing suits, multi-colored umbrellas, and shiny soccer balls that I felt as if I were looking into a kaleidoscope. After spending quality time soaking up the sun and reading, I came to the realization that the sun was in fact extremely and incredibly hotter than any sun I have ever experienced in good ole USA. That being said, I took off for the ocean and dove under the waves without too much thought. INSTANT REGRET. I may have went into immediate shock and failed miserably at trying to catch my breath. The water was freezing. It was colder than mixing up the swimming pool back home in May to get it ready for opening day! 

After the sun cooked us until we were crispy (for the love of everything holy, use sunblock), we headed back via train to the hostel to get ready for the night. One thing you have to do while in Lisbon is listen to Fado, which is traditional Portuguese music. People crowd doorways to peer into homes and restaurants as the residents sang and played stringed instruments.

Sintra: Castle City 101

Only a 40 minute train ride away from Lisbon is Sintra. It’s rumored that the city is so beautiful that Lord Byron wrote about it and described it as one of the royalist/holiest cities. There was essentially a castle where ever you looked. We decided to book a hop on/off travel bus. When asked how many castles we wanted to see, we excitedly and naively exclaimed “All of them!” The man said that would take us weeks… that’s how many castles exist in this city!

Travelers beware, on our bus ride we passed several castle locations and couldn’t pick people up because the bus was still full. Some tourists said they waited an hour+ to get another bus to

stop. Also, when purchasing the hop on/off bus tour pass, your entry fee to see the castles are not included. It gets pricey fast, so be picky!

Our first castle was Palacio Nacional de Sintre. This is the most frequented palace in Portugal. Until the fall of the monarchy in 1910, it was in continuous use. The outside massive white walls and orange trim was enough for us. When you have so many castles to choose from and pay for, you have to use your cash wisely!

Up to bat next was the Quinta da Regaleira. This is an extravagant 19th century Gothic mansion that was built by the richest man in Portugal. There was so much to see outside of the castle that we roamed the grounds for two hours. Caverns, towers, wells, bridges, sculptures, benches, and flowers were everywhere. We only spent 15 minutes in the castle. This was my second favorite castle of the trip. It was well worth the money.

  

Traveling to the other castles via bus was not fast. We sat on the bus for two hours, constantly stopping, emptying, and filling up with other tourists. We finally got off at Castelo dos Mouros.  This castle looked like a smaller version of the Great Wall of China. It reminded me of something from the Game of Thrones. This was the reigning champion of castles in my opinion!

We power walked stairs from one end of the castle to the other in a matter of twenty minutes. Our hope was to finish this castle in time to make it to one final castle, the Palacio da Pena. It was a colorful castle that sat across from the Quinta da Regaleira but higher. Unfortunately, we ran out of time, Although we covered this moorish castle in record time! We were not fast and furious, we were fast and serious.

Belem: Monuments Anyone?

From Lisbon, this was the shortest train ride. There was far less to see in Belem when compared
to Sintra. We made quick work of checking out the gardens and grand church. Next on our checklist was the Belem Tower and Monument. They were pretty cool to see! This city really was a short stop. The best part was when my travel companion dropped his lens cap in the canal and swam in after it fully clothed. Locals were wondering what the heck he was doing. Silly Americans!  With my sopping wet compadre in tow, I headed back to the train station.

After exploring Lisbon for three days, the train station provided us with an outlet to see more of the country. I would definitely recommend Sintra simply because I have never witnessed a collection of castles quite like it. Leave Lisbon early and plan to be out all day exploring. Also, be sure to have the extra cash on hand because the bus and entrance costs add up fast. Don’t forget to pack a lunch and bring water because when you’re on the buses you don’t come across food or drink! I enjoyed Carcavelos, it was a nice start to our trip. After all, who doesn’t love a good beach? It was also pretty neat to see where all the locals go and people watch. Belem was okay, if you are on a tight schedule I would skip it. But the monument and tower provide a magnificent photograph pit stop. Overall, I think we spent two-three hours in Belem tops. When in doubt, take a train and figure it out my traveling companions!

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