We stayed in this quaint cottage set in the hills between Cascais & Sintra. It's decorated thoughtfully and felt like a real home, the hosts are wonderfully warm and welcoming and made every effort to ensure our stay was comfortable. Our welcome treats were delicious!
We stayed with our two young children, which worked pretty well, as they loved the garden so we spent the mornings relaxing and then ventured out in the the afternoon (the historical sites stay open until 7/8pm so I would highly recommend going later to enjoy them at a quieter, cooler time of day)
The location is perfect for exploring the unesco heritage sites of Sintra (don't miss Quinta da Regaleira and Palace da Pena. So magical!) and the nearby town of Cascais which has a fab vibe - avoid the typical tourist strip and go explore around Rua AFonso SAnchez. There's a real boutique/arty vibe here and loads of great independent restaurants (without pictures of food!) as you go towards the art district and the park which has a fab little food & vintage market. Also the Saturday market at Cascais Villa is a great experience and perfect for picking up supplies for your stay at The Shelter.
A car is essential as there's nothing really within a short distance of the house, other than a well stocked SPA supermarket and a pharmacy. It's perfect for those looking for a base to explore the area and it would have been absolutely perfect if the neighbourhood dogs weren't barking so much as it does disturb the peace unfortunately! Luckily you can't hear them too much inside, so they didn't disturb our sleep.
We would recommend to couples as an ideal getaway for romantic evenings in with a bottle of wine after a day of adventures!