Serra de Sintra: Convento dos Capuchos to Palácio de Monserrate

This one-way, 7km trail begins at the Convento dos Capuchos, reached by bus 435 from Sintra, and no permit is required beyond the modest entry fee to visit the convent itself. The route descends and climbs a cumulative 250m through the western section of the Serra de Sintra, on narrow dirt forest track shaded almost the entire way by dense oak, fern, and eucalyptus woodland typical of this cooler, damper side of the range. The trail passes the rustic, cork-lined cells of the 16th-century Convento dos Capuchos near the start, continues through mossy boulder-strewn forest, and finishes at the lush, exotic gardens of the Palácio de Monserrate. A reasonable turn-around point for those wanting a shorter walk is the Peninha viewpoint roughly midway, offering coastal views before the descent toward Monserrate. There are no water sources or shelters along the forested stretch, so hikers carry their own water, though the Monserrate gardens have cafés and fountains near the end. The path can be muddy and slippery after rain given the surrounding forest's dampness, and tree roots create uneven footing in several stretches.