Sintra, Portugal - Day 4 - Cabo da Roca

March 28, 2020 in Sintra, Portugal

Cabo da Roca

After leaving Quinta da Regaleira, we took a short drive to Cabo da Roca. This cape is the westernmost point of mainland Europe and sits about 140 meters above the Atlantic. Up until the late 14th century, Cabo de Roca was believed to be the edge of the world. Other than a lighthouse, a coffee shop and a gift shop, there’s nothing else but cliffs and ocean views.

The stone monument - “Where the land ends and the sea begins”

Heading south from the lighthouse and the stone monument, there are paths that follow the cliffs. It narrows from a wide paved path into small trails that follow the coastline. It can be a bit steep and windy so be sure to watch your step out here.

Sintra, Portugal - Day 4 - Quinta da Regaleira

March 27, 2020 in Portugal, Sintra

It was the day of the wedding, but we had some time in the morning to go see what Sintra had to offer. We grabbed a quick breakfast at the resort and headed out to see the Quinta da Regaleira.

sintra portugal penha longa resort breakfast

Quinta da Regaleira

Quinta da Regaleira is a palace that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is so much to see at this site including lakes, grottos, wells, fountains, gardens, and a palace. The estate sits on about 4 hectares of land that is filled with trees and footpaths.

The Initiation Wells are two wells that that resemble underground towers. A winding staircase leads down to underground tunnels and the wells were used for secretive initiation ceremonies.

sintra portugal Quinta da Regaleira initiation well tunnels labyrinth

The system of tunnels have multiple entry points that connect the lower entrance of the Initiation Well and the Waterfall.

You can see the Castelo dos Mouros in the distance

Traveling with a Baby to Lisbon and Sintra, Portugal - Day 3

March 23, 2020 in Lisbon, Portugal, Sintra

On our third day in Portugal, we planned to head to the resort in Sintra where the wedding venue is. We took a short stroll to see the Castelo de Sao George (Saint George Castle) before we left for Sintra.

lisbon portugal international travel with baby fedora

Rua Augusta - Lisbon’s main pedestrian street with the Arco da Rua Augusta arch in the distance

lisbon portugal international travel with baby

Castelo de Sao Jorge (Saint George Castle)

lisbon portugal international travel with baby castelo de st jorge

The castle is the highest point in Lisbon and has breathtaking vistas over Lisbon. We got there right when they opened to avoid the long lines.

lisbon portugal international travel with baby castle st george castelo de st jorge

Ruins of the former Royal Palace of the Alcaçova

View from the Praca d’Armas (Main Square)

Castelejo (Inner Castle) with walls dating back to the 11th century

Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau

Right outside of the castle was a shop famous for bolinhos de bacalhau. Their specialty was a codfish pastry with serra da estrela cheese. It was a bit of a tourist trap and pricey for what you get. Luckily there wasn’t a long line when we went, but I’ve heard the lines can get really long.

Comur - Conserveira de Portugal

Comur was founded in 1942 during WWII making various types of canned fish. You can find shops all over Lisbon with stacks of colorful tinned packaging.

Penha Longa Resort - Sintra, Portugal

We made it to the Penha Longa Resort in Sintra in the middle of the day. We just browsed around the property to see all the amenities they had on site.

Grabbing a quick lunch at the AQUA restaurant by the pool

sintra portugal penha longa resort swimming pool

sintra portugal penha longa resort room crib view

Il Mercato - Penha Longa Resort

sintra portugal penha longa resort dinner

The rehearsal dinner for the wedding was at the Italian restaurant, Il Mercato, in the resort. The food was fantastic and the view of the garden was amazing. This is normally where breakfast is served and in the evenings it is an Italian themed restaurant.

Traveling with a Baby to Lisbon, Portugal - Day 2

March 18, 2020 in Lisbon, Portugal

Pau de Canela Pastelarias

On our second day in Lisbon, we had a full day to explore Lisbon and some activities planned for the guests of the wedding. We started the day by getting breakfast at a nearby pastry shop.

We took the metro out to see the Padrao dos Descobrimentos and Torre de Belem. Maddox loved riding the subway and going up and down the escalators.

Padrao dos Descobrimentos

The Padrao dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoveries) is a monument on the right on Tagus River. There is a main statue of Henry the Navigator and 33 other figures on both sides from the history of the Portuguese Age of Discovery.

Belem Tower

Torre de Belem (Belem Tower) served as a point for embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers in the 16th century. It was a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. It was classified as a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO. The line was way too long for us to go inside, so we just walked around the outside.

Monumento aos Combatentes do Ultramar

The Monumento aos Combatentes do Ultramar (Monument to Overseas Combatants) is just a short walk away from the Belem Tower. It is a war memorial dedicated to the soldiers of the Portuguese army who lost their lives during the Overseas War of 1961 to 1974.

Jardim da Torre de Belem

We found a bench in the Belem Tower Garden to relax and let Maddox stretch his legs.

Time Out Market

On our way back, we stopped at Time Out Market to grab a quick bite to eat. This time for a quick burger before we met with the bride and groom for a tour of the city.

Tram 28 Tour

The bride and groom set up a private tram tour on the famous Tram 28 line. This tour lasted for about 2 hours and passed through the most popular tourist districts of Lisbon.

LX Factory

LX Factory is the site of an old fabric production plant that has now been turned into a space with more than 50 restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. It is like an outdoor mall with art installations throughout the grounds.

lx factory lisbon portugal art installation

Stopped for a quick drink before dinner.

1300 Taberna

Traveling with a Baby to Lisbon, Portugal - Day 1

March 13, 2020 in Lisbon, Portugal

We left Paris and headed to Lisbon, Portugal. This is the last country we’re visiting on our multi-city international trip.

Maddox loves looking out of the window on flights

We checked into our hotel and hung out for a bit just to get some rest and to let Maddox get used to our new room.

We decided to just walk around our area to see what was in our neighborhood. Right around the corner from our hotel was the Elevador de Santa Justa. It served as a great landmark to easily make it back to our hotel.

Praca do Comercio

This is one of Europe’s largest squares with the large stone Rua Augusta Arch that commemorates the city’s reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake. The centerpiece of the square is a large statue of King Jose I.

Mercado da Ribeira - Time Out Market

lisbon portugal time out market Mercado da Ribeira

The Time Out Market is a short walk away from the Praca do Comercio and has lots of options for food. We ended up coming here multiple times during our trip.

lisbon portugal time out market Mercado da Ribeira manteigaria pasteis de nata custard tart

lisbon portugal time out market Mercado da Ribeira pasteles de bacalao olho bacalhau

Pasteis de bacalhau -Salted cod fritters

Jardim Dom Luis

After eating at Time Out Market, there’s a little park right next to the Mercado da Ribeira. They had a children’s playground where Maddox loved the swings.

Rua do Carmo

Praca Dom Pedro IV

Praca Dom Pedro IV is a large central square located in the Baixa district and is usually just referred to as Rossio.

Cervejaria Ramiro

I heard from multiple people that Ramiro is some of the best seafood in Lisbon and it did not disappoint. If you go at peak times, be ready to wait, but they do have a beer station where you can grab an quick beer while you’re waiting. The seafood was fresh and it was one of the best seafood dinners that I’ve ever had. Don’t forget the prego at the end of the meal!