The Sintra Mountains (Serra de Sintra) that make up the 145 km² Sintra-Cascais Natural Park to the north of the city of Lisbon is a magical and enchanted land.
An ancient place of mysticism and pilgrimage for thousands of years dating back to Celtic times, it was known to the ancient world as Lunae Mons (Mountain of the Moon) and Sintra was the legendary retreat of Diana the Huntress (known as Cynthia to the Romans).
As the first natural obstacle to the moisture-laden winds from Atlantic Ocean, the Sintra Mountains create a Mediterranean micro-climate with rainfall and humidity levels typical of subtropical climates.
If you want to learn more about the fascinating ecology and history of these enchanted lands, I recommend watching this short nature documentary about Portugal’s Mountain of the Moon in Sintra-Cascais National Park.
