SIGHTSEEING

• The famous Palacio Pena de Sintra is 5kms from the house and is open to the public. (Photo right)
  
  
• Adjacent to it is the ancient Moorish Castle used as a defence point over centuries. (Backgound image shows the castle wall.)
  
  
• The whole area is designated Sintra National Park because of its astonishing views and interesting history
  
  
• Just up the road is the recently restored monastery Convento do Capuchos. (Photo right)
  
  
• 25km away the Convent of Mafra is considered the world's best example of baroque architecture with its imposing dome and 88 metre long library.(Photo below)
  
  
  
  
  
• 25 km the other way Lisbon city, built on 7 hills and rebuilt after a terrible earthquake of 1755 is full of history, historic monuments and shopping. (Photo below)
  
  
  
  
• Sintra itself is full of historic palaces, narrow streets, cafes and interesting shops. You can take a horse and trap up to the Palace

RESTAURANTS AND NIGHTLIFE

Good restaurants are everywhere - at reasonable prices. A list is provided in the house. Specially recommended are:

• Restaurante Praia da Adraga -located on the local beach -the best sea food for miles around
  
  
• Moinho dom Quixote, Azoia village -converted windmill with beautiful views, lunchtime and late night bistro-style food. (Photo right)
  
  
• Restaurante Central, Banzao -typical Portuguese cuisine at low prices
  
  
• Restaurante Ribeirinho, Colares Varzea. Stylish local cuisine with talented chef.
  
  

All these are within 10 mins drive from Casa do Leao - all are English-speaking. There are also several night clubs in Cascais (25 mins down a beautiful coast road used in James Bond films) and Lisbon, of course

BEST BEACHES

Many safe, sandy local beaches are within a few minutes drive. Praia do Guincho -on that coast road to Cascais is a huge magnificent beach whose exposure to the full force of the Atlantic makes it world-famous for surfers. (photo 3251)

SHOPPING

Besides several huge award-winning shopping centres in Lisbon and Cascais there are lively markets in Cascais, Malveira da Mafra and Sintra.

At the high end of the market the designer label zone in Lisbon is Rua Garrett in the Chiado. Here, Luvana Ulisses is worth a look for its tiny historic exterior and drawer upon drawer of exquisite kid leather gloves. Good shoe shops are everywhere, FNAC is a must for book, multimedia and music lovers, wcs with amazing views and a lovely quiet café.

ART & CULTURE

Lots of local artists with galleries nearby. Casa do Leao has several examples by some of the local artists. Portugal has a long history of decorated tiles and there are modern and antique tiles for sale in many places. There is a toy museum in Sintra as well as a large art and cultural centre. There are regular concerts locally and in Lisbon catering for a wide variety of tastes.