The most beautiful natural sites to discover Sintra

You may have noticed when arriving by plane or even looking westward that this mountain range (whose highest point is a rocky peak at 528 m above sea level) rises abruptly before plunging into the ocean at Cabo da Roca. Always a little foggy, the Serra de Sintra often escapes under a thick cloud. The 14,451 ha park, around the volcanic outcrop, allows the observation of innumerable species of trees and shrubs, among which one will recognize specimens of primitive flora, such as the Portuguese oak or the very characteristic "saudade" (Armeria pseudarmeria), an endemic plant of the Lusitanian flora. A space travelled by foxes and weasels and flown over by kestrels. Whether you write it with a C or an S, it is absolutely necessary to go to this "glorious Eden" because it is a small world apart, mysterious, somewhat enchanted. Its forest, where whispering waterfalls and springs, always seems full of spells. On the nature park website, you will find detailed information on the hiking trail that runs through this park (PR2). To do if you are a good walker and well equipped as it is classified as difficult and does not have trails all the time. It starts from the historical centre of Sintra and lasts about 2.5 hours and a half (for only 4.5 km, that is how difficult it is). It is a loop, so you will come back to the starting point, and possibly go back to Lisbon.