Casa Miradouro is one of those special places you always hope you'll find but rarely do. The young women who work there, Joy and Eza (not sure how to spell) are both friendly, helpful, sweet and efficient. We were given a map with very thorough instructions of how to get where we wanted to go and which bus to catch #434 to go to Palacio de Pena. The entire town of Sintra is hilly so if you don't like hills, this is not the place to visit but we thought it was beautiful and loved the ability to stretch our legs and exercise. The bed and breakfast is a short walk to town, maybe 10 minutes or so, and along the way, you'll see oranges and lemons growing steps away from the road, not to mention all types of beautiful flowers and quaint buildings. The grounds of the inn are lovely and the perfect place to wander about or sit and enjoy the peace and quiet plus the lovely view. Our room wowed us: so lovely and cozy and elegant all at the same time. We were on the second floor in the back room and had windows on 3 sides, with floor to ceiling shutters, a balcony, big fluffy comforters, bottles of water and a small dish of candy. The bed was very, very comfortable and there was a huge armoire with plenty of space for clothes and small bags. The bathroom was very nice, extremely clean and the hot water was hot: always appreciated! There is a nice parlor with plenty of books to read, (many of them travel books on Spain and Portugal), free internet, an honor bar with soft drinks, water and various alcoholic beverages to choose from, all in a beautiful space with a fireplace. It couldn't be nicer or cozier. Breakfast is served downstairs from the other spaces buffet style with various fruits, cheeses, meats, breads, etc. and one of the ladies will gladly cook eggs for you to accompany the buffet choices. We originally planned to take a taxi in Lisbon to Rossio station and ride the train to Sintra but at the last minute Casa Miradoura arranged transportation for us at the cost of 45 Euros each way. It's a short 30-minute cab ride away and since we had been travelling for several days prior, we were anxious to get to Sintra. The driver they sent was very nice and I wouldn't hesitate to use his service again. As for Sintra: it's beautiful, magical and a very special place. Prepare to be enchanted!
