Sintra holiday apartment: Sintra

We have just returned from a wonderful week in Sintra, staying in the Cozinha Velha (apartment a). I lived for 12 years in Lisbon and thought there was little left for me to discover, but this has to be one of the most atmospheric places I've stayed in. It's ideal for total relaxation:a lovely pool with breath-taking views of the Palace, Castelo and the Atlantic: a private patio and plenty to explore in the grounds. I went with my Portuguese husband and 9 year old daughter and they were equally entranced.
We managed also to visit Lisbon, swim at Estoril and walk on the bracing beaches nearby, knowing that there was a peaceful haven waiting for us after a day of sight-seeing.

We have visited this beautiful estate five years in a row because we find the location enchanting and the possibilities multiple. Living in this estate you will almost feel like a royal person and behind the big gates in a relaxing atmosphere hosted by a very nice and helpful family. The apartment is well organized with beautiful furniture and cleaned daily. The pool area is very nice with a fantastic view of the Moorish castle and the Palacio National.

We stumbled across this hidden gem quite by accident last year when we were looking for a property to rent in, or close to, the historic town of Sintra.
We stayed in Apartment A which was converted from the old servants quarters of a beautiful 16th Century Villa. The Villa is set in it's own secured grounds in the middle of Sintra just 5 minutes walk from Sintra Railway Station. As soon as you step through the gates you are transported into a beautiful and tranquil setting which makes for the perfect summer holiday. Salvador the property owner is extremely hospitable and helpful.

We have stayed in many places over the years and have never come across such a beautiful yet convenient holiday property. The apartment is is well appointed, clean, well maintained and equipped with all the facilities that you need. It also has some extras that are very useful, such as a dvd player with a selection of up to date english language films on dvd which provides some extra entertainment in the evenings.
One of the highlights of the apartment was a lovely outdoor 'lounge' area with high whitewashed walls, tiled floor and comfortable patio furniture.
The property has an excellent swimming pool and patio which has views across the surrounding countryside and Sintra town, including the historic buildings that Sintra is famous for. Sintra is an interesting town to explore and is easy to navigate on foot. Lisbon is only 40 minutes away by regular train (every 20 mins) and is also worth spending time exploring.

Sintra has many good restaurants which provide excellent meals to suit all budgets in both the upper and lower parts of the town. It has a good supermarket and many smaller shops and bakeries.

We found the holiday very relaxing because we did not need to hire a car as the public transport system to, from and around Sintra is excellent, reliable and very inexpensive to use.
This is an absolutely first class holiday location that we are happy to recommend to anyone...so good in fact that we are renting the property again this year.