Sintra, Portugal was my favorite destination during our two-week trip to Portugal and Spain. The trip spanned five cities (Sintra, Lisbon, Seville, Madrid, and Barcelona) and I was not expecting to be wowed by the smallest, least-visited destination on our itinerary. (Although, in hindsight, it makes sense that my small-town-loving soul appreciated Sintra’s charm most).

Sintra is an enchanting city that is surrounded by rugged natural beauty and emerald-colored, palace-clad mountainsides. It borders a protected mountainside that slopes into the Atlantic Ocean. We arrived in Sintra on a warm, sunny day in late March and I was immediately captivated by its romantic, historic allure. The town itself is hilly and interlaced with lush gardens, stone walls, staircases, shops, and cafes. About 15 minutes from town, there are several nearby villages situated on clifftops at the oceanside.

We stayed in an Airbnb close to the central downtown that overlooked a bubblegum-colored church, terracotta roof tops, and the ocean in the distance. One of my favorite moments of the trip was lingering on our balcony with a bottle of Portuguese wine, watching the sunset over the two castles perched above us: Pena Palace (a glorious gleaming yellow palace) and the Castle of the Moors (exactly what you picture when you envision a medieval castle).

We stayed in Sintra for two nights and only had one full day to explore the area. We noticed that there are a few bus lines from town that hit the main touring points, but we skipped those and pieced it together a bit. There’s certainly more to do than what I’ve listed below, but below are my must-visit places if you only have a day or two to visit Sintra:

Eat Pastries at Casa Piriquita: This bright-yellow café is as adorable and sweet as the precious pastries they sling. They are known for their Travesseiros (named for their pillow shape), which are puff pastry filled with an egg and almond cream and sprinkled with sugar. The other pastries common in the area are Queijadas (a small sweet tart filled with cheese, eggs, milk, and sugar), and my favorite Pastel de Nata (a Portuguese custard tart dusted with cinnamon).

Get lost at Quinta da Regaleira: This was a major highlight of our trip. It is a mystical, 2.5 acre garden and palace that banks the outer edges of the historical center of the city. We walked to this park from our Airbnb and spent 1-2 hours exploring. I overheard a fellow park-guest refer to Quinta da Regaleira as a game of medieval chutes and ladders, and I wholeheartedly agree with this description. Designed to be filled with mystery, the park’s staircases, tunnels, and towers help you wind your way throughout the property. You can easily get lost here for a few hours, taking in the lakes, grottoes, wells, tunnels, fountains, gardens, and towers. The grounds also have a beautiful palace and chapel that you can tour while onsite.

Marvel at Pena Palace: This is one of the attractions that I was most excited about seeing and it was even more grand and incredible than I expected. The color (bright-mango yellow accented by indigo and cream colored tiles). The scale (larger than life). The view (downtown Sintra, the Moors Castle, sprawling miles of villages, the sea). The sprawling acres of surrounding gardens (gorgeous plant life and points of interest dotted throughout the property). Definitely make your way up to this gem in the sky! We took an Uber up and hiked back downhill about 30 minutes to the city.

Have dinner in Azenhas do Mar: When I saw how close Sintra was to the ocean, I knew I wanted to make it to one of the charming seaside towns for seafood. We took an Uber from downtown Sintra to Azenhas do Mar to take in the sunset over the ocean and it did not disappoint. It was otherworldly. It was a tiny town—all whitewashed homes and terra cotta rooftops—clustered on a seaside cliff. We had dinner at Azenhas do Mar, a restaurant built over the sea, so you feel like you’re perched in a ship. We sat near open windows that were so close to the water we could feel the salty mist of the ocean on our faces and the rhythm of the waves crashing and fizzing against the Easter-Island-head-esque rockface outside our window. It was the fanciest dinner we went to on the trip. We enjoyed the tiger shrimp pasta with scallops, lobster, oysters, and octopus.

Grab a Night Cap at Incomum Wine Gallery: This small wine bar charmed us so much that we visited both nights we were in town. Our waiter was extremely friendly and brought us many wines of the region to sample. The area is known for its port wines and vinho verde.

Overall, it was just a wonderful treat to leave Michigan-March behind and bask in full-fledge sunshine, lush tropical foliage, legitimate mountainsides, blooming wisteria, and oceanside views. I highly recommend you squeeze a day (or two!) in Sintra into any Portuguese excursion you plan.