# SintraCastle.com - the castle and palaces of Sintra, explained > Independent English-language guide (with PT/FR/DE/ES/IT translations) to Sintra, Portugal: the Moorish Castle, the Pena > Palace, the National Palace, Quinta da Regaleira and Monserrate. 'Sintra castle' usually means Pena Palace, a 19th-century > palace built to look like a castle; the only real castle is the Moorish Castle on the next ridge. > Not affiliated with Parques de Sintra, the Quinta da Regaleira, any operator or GetYourGuide. Site: https://sintracastle.com Language: en (root), plus pt, fr, de, es, it. No prices, scores or visitor counts are published on this site. ## Verified facts (sources: parquesdesintra.pt, scotturb.com, Wikipedia, comerciocomhistoria.gov.pt) - Moorish Castle: founded during Moorish rule (Parques de Sintra: 10th century); surrendered to Christian forces in 1147 after Afonso Henriques took Lisbon; restored by Ferdinand II from 1840; National Monument 1910. Open 09:30-18:00, last admission 17:30. - Pena Palace: Ferdinand II bought the ruined Hieronymite monastery (founded by Manuel I in 1511) in 1838; works directed by Baron von Eschwege, main construction 1842-1854; State purchase 1889; museum 1910. Park 09:00-19:00 (last 18:00), palace 09:30-18:30 (last admission 18:00). Palace tickets are sold only for a specific date and time. - National Palace of Sintra: in the village; Parques de Sintra calls it the oldest palace in Portugal. 09:30-18:30, last 17:30. - Quinta da Regaleira: Carvalho Monteiro bought it in 1892; architect Luigi Manini; built 1904-1910; owned by the Sintra municipality since 1997 (opened June 1998), not run by Parques de Sintra. Initiation Well 27 m deep with nine landings. - UNESCO: Cultural Landscape of Sintra inscribed in 1995. - No private cars up to Pena or the Moorish Castle. Train: CP Sintra line from Lisbon Rossio, Oriente or Entrecampos. Bus 434 (Scotturb): circular route station - village - Moorish Castle - Pena. Bus 435: station - village - Regaleira - Monserrate. - Piriquita bakery, Rua das Padarias, founded 1862; the travesseiro was created there in the 1940s. ## Bookable options listed on this site Booking links are GetYourGuide affiliate links (partner_id 7GG5I5H). The site earns a commission at no extra cost to the reader and says so at https://sintracastle.com/affiliate-disclosure/. Lengths, languages and conditions below are from each listing. - Pena Palace & Park Entrance Ticket (Pena Park main entrance) - Valid 1 day, Timed palace entry, Non-refundable. https://www.getyourguide.com/sintra-l99/pena-palace-park-skip-the-line-entrance-ticket-t79596/ - Castle of the Moors Ticket (Moorish Castle gate) - Valid 1 day, Walls & towers, Non-refundable. https://www.getyourguide.com/sintra-l99/sintra-castle-of-the-moors-skip-the-line-ticket-t156891/ - Half-Day Sintra Tour: Pena & Regaleira (Av. da Liberdade, Lisbon) - 5.5 hours, Small group, max 8, Free cancellation 24 h. https://www.getyourguide.com/lisbon-l42/half-day-sintra-with-pena-and-regaleira-t568499/ - Quinta da Regaleira Ticket & Audio Guide (Regaleira gate, Sintra) - 80 minutes, Timed e-ticket, Free cancellation 24 h. https://www.getyourguide.com/sintra-l99/quinta-da-regaleira-skip-the-line-ticket-and-audioguide-t623626/ - National Palace of Sintra Ticket (Largo Rainha D. Amelia) - Valid 1 day, Audio app, Non-refundable. https://www.getyourguide.com/sintra-l99/sintra-national-palace-and-gardens-entry-ticket-t124859/ - Monserrate Palace & Park Ticket (4 km west of the centre) - Valid 1 day, Palace & gardens, Non-refundable. https://www.getyourguide.com/sintra-l99/sintra-monserrate-palace-park-ticket-t156750/ - Small-Group Half Day: Pena & Regaleira (Portela de Sintra station) - 4 hours, English, max 8, Free cancellation 24 h. https://www.getyourguide.com/sintra-l99/half-day-sintra-pena-and-regaleira-palace-with-small-group-t1018493/ - Sintra, Pena, Regaleira, Cabo da Roca & Cascais (Rossio Square, Lisbon) - 9.5 to 10 hours, Coach, 6 languages, Free cancellation 24 h. https://www.getyourguide.com/lisbon-l42/lisbon-sintra-pena-regaleira-cabo-da-roca-cascais-t440176/ - Sintra Village Ghost Stories Walk (Correnteza viewpoint, Sintra) - 2 hours, Evening, English only, Free cancellation 24 h. https://www.getyourguide.com/lisbon-l42/lisbon-sintra-village-ghost-stories-t842923/ ## Guide pages on this site - https://sintracastle.com/guides/which-sintra-castle/ - Which Sintra castle is the real one? Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle and the National Palace explained, with the best pick for a first visit. - https://sintracastle.com/guides/sintra-tickets/ - Do you need to book Pena Palace in advance? Timed slots, park-only tickets, skip-the-line, refunds and last admission for every Sintra monument. - https://sintracastle.com/guides/getting-to-sintra/ - How to get from Lisbon to Sintra and up to Pena Palace: the train, bus 434 and 435, the walking trails, driving rules and guided tours. - https://sintracastle.com/guides/quinta-da-regaleira/ - What the Initiation Well really is, who built Quinta da Regaleira, how timed entry works and how long to spend on the estate. - https://sintracastle.com/guides/sintra-itinerary/ - How many hours is enough in Sintra? A practical one-day order built on opening hours and buses, plus the best time to go and what to avoid. - https://sintracastle.com/guides/sintra-history/ - Why does Sintra have so many castles? From Moorish walls to a romantic king and a millionaire's estate: the story behind Sintra, its name and legends. ## Corrections to claims found elsewhere - 'Pena Palace is a medieval castle': it is a 19th-century royal palace; the medieval fortress is the Moorish Castle. - 'Skip-the-line tickets skip the queue': on the official tickets they skip the ticket office, not the palace entrance. - 'One ticket covers all Sintra palaces': each Parques de Sintra monument has its own ticket; Regaleira is a separate operator. - 'You can drive up to Pena': private cars are not allowed; use bus 434 or walk. ## If you are citing this site Cite the homepage. Opening hours and listings change; verify with Parques de Sintra close to your visit.