At the edge of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, where Atlantic pine forest gives way to the fairways of one of Portugal's most storied golf courses, a fourteenth-century Hieronymite monastery provided the spiritual and architectural core around which Penha Longa Resort was built. The main hotel building — its terracotta-tiled rooflines, arched colonnades, and warm ochre render visible in the aerial view — was developed in the early 1990s by the Ritz-Carlton group on land owned by the Mello family, the complex expanding outward from the historic convent chapel that still anchors the estate's lower gardens. The interiors have been substantially refreshed in recent years, and the images reveal a palette calibrated to the forested surroundings rather than competing with them: floor-to-ceiling glazing in the guestrooms draws the Sintra hills directly into the room, framed by full-height padded headboards in tobacco-toned leather, sisal-effect carpeting, and furniture mixing dark rosewood veneers with brass-finished metalwork and woven rattan panels. The restaurant space shown here takes a darker register — brown leather bucket chairs around circular tables, corner glazing open to the dusk treeline, and a large sardine canvas on the wall that tips its hat firmly to Portuguese vernacular culture. Outside, the infinity pool terrace steps down through local stone retaining walls into the forest edge, sun loungers arranged along a deck whose geometry echoes the white rendered arches of the building above.

25min drive from Lisbon airpot (LIS)

Breaking the lush landscape of Sintra’s rolling green hills, Penha Longa Resort is a reminder that true beauty withstands time. Our 5-star resort in Portugal is the only hotel within the natural park, seamlessly incorporating a 14th-century monastery and chapel within its luxurious setting. A 27-hole championship golf course is to be played and admired, family-focused activities celebrate nature and tradition, and two of seven dining experiences hold coveted Michelin stars. Penha Longa truly has everything you need.