Azenhas do Mar – Visitar e Conhecer (Sintra)

Azenhas do Mar is located in the municipality of Sintra, although far away from the other attractions. A 15 minute drive from the Historical Center of Sintra (11km), and 20 minutes from Cabo da Roca (13km), the Westernmost Point of Europe, and the place we had visited before, Azenhas do Mar appears on the hillside, facing the Ocean.

Azenhas do Mar is a good stopping point (for the view and the gastronomy) for those visiting Cabo da Roca

Anyone arriving at this destination from the south will find a large parking lot by the sea, where there are also paths for those who want to get to know this small coastal village. It is on this path that we find the best view - the one that shows us the side of the village, its beach and its pools, in all their splendor.

Following this path, we find the road that leads to the famous restaurant in the area, named after the village itself. Passing the restaurant, we arrive at the beach and the pool that so well characterize the landscape.

Since we visited this village after having had lunch near Cabo da Roca, we opted to take advantage of this area for dessert and visited another (equally busy) restaurant, where we had handmade ice cream.

The village lies on a hillside below the sea, drawing the attention of those who pass through.

In reality, Azenhas do Mar is a small village - if you walk down the main street, you quickly see the sign that marks the end of the village. However, because of its unusual arrangement on the rocks, which are right on the edge, it has become quite well known.

This fame earned it a nomination for one of Portugal's 7 Wonders of Portugal Villages, reaching the finalist in the category of Sea Villages and losing against Fajã dos Cubres, in the Azores (you can see all the winners and finalists here.).

Thus, we recommend a stop in this small village to get to know its beautiful landscape and relax a bit. However, keep in mind that this destination will not take up your whole day (unless you do the beach or choose to do the longer routes).

We therefore recommend that if you visit Azenhas do Mar, you should choose to visit two equally beautiful and important destinations nearby: Cabo da Roca, further south, and the Convent of Mafra, further north.