Sintra – The old Tram

One of the greatest attractions for people visiting Sintra is the chance to ride on an old, romantic tram through vast swathes of green countryside to the beautiful beach town of Praia das Maçãs. It is a 13-kilometre-long trip that lasts about 45 minutes and runs through Sintra’s lush landscape of exotic plants and trees interspersed amongst blankets of dark green bracken. The idea of constructing a tram line out of Sintra to the coast first came about in 1886, but the first section of the line was only inaugurated in 1904 as a regular commute service. Today it operates mostly as a tourist attraction.

The carriages are either open or closed but they are all red and the journey is bound to take you back to a bygone era. Your bones can be a bit shaken during the journey but it is a small price to pay for a unique picturesque journey through Sintra and surroundings. Sure, you can take a bus or drive a car instead from Sintra to the coast and up to Praia das Maçãs but the experience would not be as pleasurable! With a maximum capacity of 45 passengers per carriage, you can be sure the tram is never “too crowded”.

The best place to stay in Sintra and ride its famous tram is the Hedone property in Galamares. The train track is so close to the property that you can hear its whistle as it passes by!

Hedone is Home.