Sintra Road Trip: From Cabo da Roca to Ericeira
“STOP, you can’t go any further,” I shouted out to my dad before his car almost got stuck in the middle of nowhere. We were struggling to get the car around in a narrow street, and at the moment, I wished I had never got us into it.
My mom was stressing out, and so was I, but luckily this man showed up and managed to help us get out of there. All this to see a rock. Penedo do Lexim looked great in pictures, but no one mentioned how hard it was to get there.
My dad and I are big fans of going out and exploring new places, so when I asked him to make a small Sintra road trip this weekend, he just said — lead the way!
I did my research and quickly came up with a plan: we would start in the most Western point in Europe, Cabo da Roca, go up to Ericeira and stop by a couple of small villages on the way home.
While some places exceed my expectations, others failed to impress.
Cabo da Roca
It was past noon when we got in the car and drove up to Colares to find Bar Moinho Dom Quixote. I first spotted this place on Instagram, and I thought I had to go there! The decoration was beautiful, and the fact that it had a view of the sea made it even better.
We drove around touristy Sintra, followed the directions on my phone’s GPS, and by the time we got there we were starving.
Right next to the bar’s name, there was a sign saying: No cards accepted. My dad asked, and the closest ATM was 8km each way!
He reached into his pocket and found a €20 bill. That was just enough to cover a plate of nachos with cheese, chili, and soup. It was quite a big portion for us, so I don’t think I’ll be eating tortilla chips anytimes soon!
The wind was going strong, and I completely forgot to bring a jacket with me. If you’re thinking of doing a road trip around Sintra, make sure to bring yours!
After lunch, we went up to Cabo da Roca, the most Western point in Europe.
“Here, where the land ends and the sea begins”: a quote by Camões that perfectly describes Cabo da Roca. The ocean breeze, the waves hitting the rocks, the lighthouse on top of the hill—this place is magical. Even though it’s so close to my hometown, I haven’t been here that often.
How to get to Cabo da Roca: It’s a bit of trek if you don’t have a car, but there is one bus that will take you here from downtown Cascais or Sintra’s train station (403, Scotturb).
Ericeira
Ericeira has been a popular summer retreat since the 1940s. Home to top-quality beaches, it’s often referred to as Europe’s best surfing spot. Hence why you’ll see many surfers and surf shops spread around the town.
The weather wasn’t really calling for a swim, so we just had a quick look at the beach and went inside the Chapel of São Sebastião. Beyond the plain white facade, we found beautiful tiles covering the chapel from top to bottom.
Blue and white houses are also very typical in Ericeira, and it’s worth capturing them on your tour of the town.
Aldeia da Mata Pequena
Aldeia da Mata Pequena is like a small sample of Óbidos. With its colorful houses and old bikes, this tiny village won me over.
If you’re looking to spend some time away from the city hustle, this is the ideal place.
Take a pick from the ten houses available and spend the night in this quiet scenario surrounded by mountains.
I don’t think anyone lives in these houses anymore. The village is mostly a touristy place now, but it’s still nice to come and visit.
Cheleiros
I’m not quite sure how I came across this place, but I’m glad that I found it.
When you enter this town, you’ll see a sign featuring all the sites you should visit while you’re there.
One of the first things that comes up when you search Cheleiros on Google is its Roman bridge. This bit of history sits over a small stream, which makes it the perfect place for a reflection shot 🙂
Park your car near the church and follow the arrows to the Ponte Romana. Within seconds you’ll see this beautiful Roman bridge.
Anços
“Maybe it needs to rain a bit more,” my dad said when we finally reached the so-called waterfalls in Anços.
When we got to the end of the trail, we were expecting to see something like this, but the only thing we saw was a tiny sample of water.
Turns out, we didn’t walk far enough to see this hidden gem, so we have to go back and find it one day.