Feira do Artesanato de Sintra
The Feira de Artesanato de Sintra is a free municipal craft fair that the Câmara de Sintra organises in August in the Jardim da Correnteza, next to the Vila Velha. It brings together artisans from the concelho with handmade pieces: ceramics, cork and embroidery. Free entry, open morning to afternoon. Check dates and the programme on the official website.
Crafts and sweets with centuries of history
What truly sets Sintra apart is not any single stall but its craft tradition itself. On one side, medieval pastry-making: queijadas are documented as far back as 1227 as a form of payment, and the flaky travesseiros filled with almond cream were born at Piriquita during the Second World War. On the other, crafts tied to the Romantic landscape: cork (Portugal produces more than half the world's supply) turned into bags and accessories, Viana linen embroidery, ceramics and azulejos. At fairs and shops you'll see ballpark prices of around €1.20–1.25 per queijada and about €2.20 each for travesseiros sold in boxes. One critical tip: watch out for stalls selling cheap mass-produced 'antique azulejos'; honest cork and ceramics have an irregular finish and a price to match — not identical souvenirs sold in bulk.
The market in the Vila Velha
The August fair sets up in the Jardim da Correnteza (Alameda dos Combatentes da Grande Guerra), a short walk from the Praça da República and the Palácio Nacional, in the heart of the Vila Velha. It is free, open-air and runs generous hours from morning to afternoon, bringing together artisans from the concelho — not casual resellers passing through. The same garden hosts the Mercado Brocante (antiques, books, records) on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month, in case your visit doesn't line up with the summer fair. For quality pieces year-round, the historic shops in the centre: Sintra Bazar (Rua das Padarias 2), family-run since 1910 with worldwide shipping; and for sweets, Casa Piriquita (Rua das Padarias 1 and 18). Tip: Piriquita II (no. 18) sells the same things and is usually less packed — at peak times take a queue ticket and wait, it moves quickly.
Popular festivities of summer
Sintra's summer is a chain of celebrations spread across the freguesias, not a single festival. June belongs to the Santos Populares: the Festas de São Pedro in the Vila (around late June, culminating on the 29th with a solemn mass and procession) and the Grande Arraial de São João das Lampas, with marchas and sardinhas. In July, the Feira Medieval de São Pedro recreates traditional crafts and a period market in the Praça D. Fernando II. August brings the Festas de Colares in honour of Nossa Senhora da Assunção (14–17 Aug). And in September, the pilgrimage of Nossa Senhora do Cabo Espichel in São João das Lampas, with the Círio dos Saloios. Tip: dates shift every year across the different freguesias — always cross-check the official Câmara calendar (cm-sintra.pt) before you plan, since several events fall on the same weekend.
One day: market, sweets and palaces
The real challenge in Sintra is the crowds, not the distance. The CP train from Rossio (Lisbon) costs €2.45 single (€4.90 return) plus €0.50 for a reusable Viva Viagem card; the journey takes about 40 minutes with departures every 20. Head first to the Palácio da Pena or the Palácio Nacional right when they open (09:30–10:00): the worst of the crowds hit between 11:00 and 15:00, especially at weekends. Important warning: since 2025, private and hire cars are banned from driving up to Pena and the Castelo dos Mouros, with fines in place — only bus 434, taxis and authorised tuk-tuks can make the ascent. Head down to the centre around midday, stop by Piriquita, and if you happen to be there on a Sunday, swing by the market. Arriving Monday to Thursday is the best way to dodge the worst of the crowds.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Feira de Artesanato de Sintra free?
When does it take place?
What is sold at the fair?
How do I get there from Lisbon?
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Other places in Sintra
Palácio Nacional da Pena
palacioA Romantic palace commissioned by King Fernando II and completed around 1854 on a hilltop in the Serra de Sintra.
Castelo dos Mouros
castilloA castle built by the Moors between the 8th and 9th centuries, conquered by Afonso Henriques in 1147 following the capture of Lisboa.
Quinta da Regaleira
jardinAn early-twentieth-century estate belonging to Carvalho Monteiro, designed by architect Luigi Manini and famous for its spiral initiatic well some 27 metres deep.
Palácio Nacional de Sintra
palacioA former royal residence, recognisable by its two enormous conical chimneys of around 33 metres that rise above the medieval kitchens.
Palácio de Monserrate
palacioA Romantic palace built between 1858 and 1864 for the wealthy Francis Cook, blending Gothic, Indian and Moorish styles.
Festas de Sao Pedro de Sintra
fiestaThe Festas de São Pedro de Sintra are the town's biggest local celebration, free to attend and held around 28–29 June in honour of São Pedro, patron of the freguesia of São Pedro de Penaferrim. At its heart is the Feira de São Pedro, one of Portugal's oldest traditional fairs, with arraial, sardinha assada and a religious procession.
Festival das Noites de Sintra
fiestaThe Sintra Festival is Portugal's oldest music festival: born in 1957 as the Jornadas Musicais de Sintra, it fills the UNESCO-listed palaces and churches of Sintra with classical music every June. It is a ticketed event, with entries available through Ticketline, plus a handful of free concerts with limited capacity. Check dates and the full programme on the official website.
Natal em Sintra
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