After leaving Portimão, we sailed to Lisbon (AKA Lisbao) and we docked there for 2 days.  Upon arriving we headed out for Sintra, reputed to be a charming medieval town.  I can report it was everything it was cracked up to be. 

Sintra is a small town with population about 385,000 people. It is densely populated and it is a major tourist attraction, but it certainly isn’t a tourist trap. It is picturesque, with several palaces, castles, parks and gardens. It is famous for its Romanticist architecture and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. As it should be. 

Sintra is not just a beautiful city. It is also very wealthy; in fact it is one of the wealthiest cities in Portugal in addition to being one of the wealthiest cities on  th entire Iberian peninsula. Not surprisingly,  it continues to rate as one of the most desirable places to live in Portugal. It also has the largest ex pat community on what the locals consider to be the Portuguese Riviera. 

All in all, Sintra has an excellent reputation. It is well deserved. 

JFB