With dozen of well marked trails and countless other forest trails and paths, Sintra is a hiking gem. The main paths are well kept and on weekends you’ll often run into biking groups. I had been wanting for some time to walk up from the Barragem do Rio da Mula to the Peninha Sanctuary. It’s a 7km hike through wide paths cut through the forest and a few medium slopes and then another 7km back.
There is a small dam on the Mula river and the area is very pleasant with paths shaded by pines all around the water reservoir. There are also eucalyptus, willows and oaks. As you go up there are sections where the path opens up for some pretty views of the mountain and the coast between Lisbon and Cascais. I stopped at the watchtower and trig point of Pedra Amarela for some a spectacular view of Guincho and the surrounding coast. The hill where Peninha stands was getting misty and the weather seemed to be getting worse altogether.
Short video of the hike
For my hiking companion, a German Shorthaired Pointer young male, 14 km would’ve been a piece of cake. So he ran most of the way back and forth.
The peaceful trails
Peninha usually affords what I think are the most breathtaking views of Lisbon and its surroundings. On a clear day, it’s possible to see Lisbon in the distance, with the red iron 25 de Abril bridge and the Cristo-Rei on the south bank of the Tejo, but also the coast on the south side all the way up to Cabo Espichel near Sesimbra; you can also see Guincho beach at the foot of Sintra and the lighthouse at Cabo da Roca and follow that coastline up north to Peniche. Unfortunately, on this day the summit was completely wrapped in grey mist and I wasn’t able to take any photos of these views. The mist gave Peninha, however, an eerie and mystic quality.
The Peninha Sanctuary is located on top of large granite boulders and is comprised by the ruins of the old São Saturnino chapel, dating from the period of the foundation of the first Portuguese kingdom in the 12th century, and by the current chapel dating back to the 17th century and which has been encircled by the castle-like romantic-revivalist small Palace dating of the 19th century. The current chapel dates back to the period when an hermit sought refuge here, in the place where, according to the local legend, the Virgin Mary had appeared in the sixteenth century. The chapel there is usually closed to visitors.
© 2026 Rod Loboz
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