Photographing quintas and historic houses in Sintra

Architecture

Sintra's houses belong to the Romantic landscape around the palaces: quintas with walled gardens, chapels and water tanks, nineteenth-century villas with towers and verandas, and older manor houses with tiled interiors, high ceilings and tall wooden shutters.

Many have been restored with care, and the commission is often about showing what was kept: the panelling, the stone, the original floors.

Light and weather

The hills catch the Atlantic moisture. On many summer days the town is wrapped in cloud while the coast below is clear, and winter brings long spells of rain. Forest cover keeps gardens and façades in deep shade for much of the day.

We treat the mist as part of the place rather than something to wait out. Interiors are often at their best on soft, overcast days, and a clear evening after rain can give the most beautiful exterior light of the year.

Typical properties

Historic quintas with several buildings and large grounds; restored villas near the historic centre and São Pedro; country houses towards Colares and the coast; and contemporary homes on the wooded slopes.

Practical notes

Access roads are narrow and steep, and parking in the historic centre is restricted. Large estates take longer to cover, so they usually suit an Estate commission over a full day.

Much of the area is within the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park and near protected monuments, so aerial work is checked carefully and is not always possible.