27 Oct 2022
On October 12th my family (wife and 3 adult children) and I visited Sintra and did the Lighthawk Tour with Frederico Almeida Santos. His vehicle was roomy, clean and comfortable. Mr Santos exercised personal safety for him and his guests by keeping a mask on throughout the tour, even though we did not request/require. First stop was Palacio Nacional da Pena. Mr Santos helped us with ticketing and allowed us to enjoy a beautiful morning walking the grounds and visiting the castle. Afterwards we had lunch at a quaint village and a restaurant (Sabores de Sinatra) of his suggestion. The food was absolutely delicious. We then did a little walking through Sintra-São Martinho for desserts. Afterwards, we ventured to Quinta da Regaleira Garden for some splendid vistas of Sintra. We took a quick visit to Jardins do Palacio de Senteais. He then drove us around the coast to Colares to visit the lighthouse, and then ended our day trip at Cascais. Throughout the tour, Frederico provided information, history, explained culture and answered our questions. He’s patient with our pace of sightseeing and is a model representative of Sintra and its beautiful people. You will find his company/colleagues at the Sintra train station. While Lighthawk probably employs several tour guides, consider yourself lucky if you happen to have Mr Santos as your guide. Our thanks also to his colleague at the station who made this tour possible.