Sintra Mountains writer and history researcher
author of Sintra Lendária - Histórias e Lendas do Monte da Lua (on its 6th edition)
also known as Caminheiro de Sintra (Sintra's Wanderer)
lectures and speeches on Sintra's history to more than 12K people (as to 2018 data)
scrolling down
you will find every piece of information that will transmit you the certainty of a new way to discover the beauty of the Sintra Mountains
Miguel Boim
twilight hiking
with
♦ PRIVATE HIKE IN SINTRA ♦
a private hike, accompanied by a local writer
by
Miguel Boim, O Caminheiro de Sintra ("Sintra's Wanderer")
author of the book Legendary Sintra - Legends and Stories of the Mountain of the Moon
::: www.miguelboim.com
::: rnaat 1808/2017
::: Available days: Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays - all subject to availability.
::: Groups size: from just one to twelve people.
::: A cultural activity, in legal accordance to Nature Tourism.
::: Legal notice: rnaat 1808/2017
:::: Activity's off-the-grid level: 10/10
:::: Sintra's crowds avoidance: 10/10
::: No smoking; no noise; not advisable to pregnancy nor to heart conditions.
These old passages have been passed through by people who have become known in history for their fantasy, such as this pathway, which Hans Christian Andersen strolled several times during his stay in Sintra in the Summer of 1866.
picture by Miguel Boim
Hidden on the sides of Sintra's oldest entrance to its town - on the old and long Lisbon-Sintra road - are corners where the passing carriages used to echo their rattling.
picture by Miguel Boim
♦♦♦ Your host, Sintra's writer Miguel Boim, in some Portuguese TV shows:
➤ at RTP2
giving body to Mr. Sommer (Patrick Süskind's)
The reading of some excerpts from Mr Sommer, by Patrick Süskind (best known for The Perfume), in Literatura Aqui programme.
➤ at SIC
in the TV series "Boa Cama Boa Mesa"
A brief appearance on SIC's "Boa Cama Boa Mesa" programme, presented by Martim Cabral, and as always talking about the curious stories of the Sintra Mountains past.
➤ at TVI
in Jornal Nacional, at Sintra's Capuchos Convent
A brief appearance by Miguel Boim, O Caminheiro de Sintra, on TVI's Jornal Nacional, in a report that also involves the Convento dos Capuchos and its curious stories from the distant past.
One of the oldest passages to the top of the mountain, when the Sintra Mountains had no roads running through its centre.
picture by Miguel Boim
The ancient Royal Palace of Sintra mirrors the curiosity - and mysteries - of the events of Portuguese history that have taken place in Sintra.
picture by Miguel Boim
♦♦♦ Important information:
. This twilight hiking route will last around 3 hours (or less, if you feel that's better for you), for which you should bring comfortable clothing and footwear.
. The pace will be the one that best suits you, with stops at which you can rest.
. You'll get to know the old town, as well as the quieter part of the forest in the Sintra mountains. However, if you prefer, we can head straight into the forest to avoid the centre of Sintra.
. It is advisable to start two hours before sunset. Upon booking, you can get to know the starting time - or choose the starting time you want.
. If you don't feel comfortable in the rain, you can cancel the walk. If the activity has to be cancelled due to what the authorities have indicated, you will receive a refund, or we can reschedule for a later date if both parties are available.
. During the booking process you will receive further information about data protection, your safety and the preservation of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park.
The green and gold at the end of the day make the curious memories of Sintra written by foreign travellers in the 18th and 19th centuries more vivid..
picture by Miguel Boim
The Pena Palace in the evening fog. The part seen in the picture (the red part of the Palace) is the oldest part of the whole structure, dating from the 16th century. The red part of the Palace was the ancient Pena Monastery and where lightning often entered.
picture by Miguel Boim
♦♦♦ This tour has the seal Clean & Safe, issued by Turismo de Portugal.
► MEETING POINT:
The meeting point will be the one that is most convenient for you, even if you are staying in Sintra. When booking, this will be one of the practical questions asked so that you can make the most of the walk.
► HOW TO MAKE A BOOKING:
Please send an email (caminheiro.de.sintra@gmail.com) with the following subject:
Twilight Hiking - [YOUR PREFERRED DATE] - [NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS].
If you'd like further information, you can indicate WHERE YOU'RE STAYING, as well as YOUR INTENDED START TIME, or ask what best starting time, wich will be indicated according to the date (as the sunset here is different from where you are travelling from).
Payment will be done through Paypal, and you will have between three and seven days to make the payment and provide the information requested.
If you prefer, you can first ask as many questions as you like, so that you can feel comfortable (caminheiro.de.sintra@gmail.com), either you are alone, or with a group.
Pricing:
one person: 160€ (total)
two persons: 160€ (total)
three persons: 240€ (total)
four persons: 320€ (total)
five persons: 400€ (total)
six persons: 480€ (total)
seven persons: 560€ (total)
eight persons: 640€ (total)
nine persons: 720€ (total)
ten persons: 800€ (total)
eleven persons: 860€ (total)
twelve persons: 910€ (total)
You will have the chance to touch artifacts from the beginning of the 19th century, such as coins or medals - hence, touching the past.
You can go through the reviews in TripAdvisor here:
The enchanted green that covers everything evokes the fauna of the past, which also included wolves and bears.
picture by Miguel Boim
The Pena Palace in the distance, with the structures planned as the servants' houses (faraway from the Palace), in a part of your twilight hiking with Miguel Boim.
picture by Miguel Boim
♦♦♦ Synopsis:
This activity is for you to feel comfortable, see the beauty of Sintra's nature, and feel fulfilled in your natural curiosity - one of the things that most pleasure gives us in life.
The route will be tailored to how you feel on the day, both physically and in terms of the questions you may have, based upon what is going to be told to you - in a light conversation - on Sintra's History. With Miguel Boim's in-depth knowledge of the old town, mountains, legends and history of Sintra (the wolves, the Knights Templar, the inquisition, the portuguese habits, the apparitions in the old convents and monasteries, among others), it's possible to adapt the tour to your needs and wishes.
Through the centuries-old streets, alleys and passageways, with brief passages in the forest, views of the former Royal Palace, Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle, while filling your heart with details in the landscape, this journey will make you revive the past in a light-hearted communication (without the usual flooding of dates and academic jargon).
It's an off-the-grid experience that will imprint on your chest a beautiful and lasting memory of Sintra (opposite to the usual crowded tours). The mysteries of the Mountain of the Moon (with the mystery of the name itself, which its origin is unknown) from the time before the Romans, the stays and hunts in the medieval era with the royal family, and the eternal fog that instigated legends and apparitions in the fantasy of people's minds, are the parts and pieces of history that constitute the ingredients of your passage through Sintra, on this pleasant and light walking tour.
On one of the highest parts of the route. Even in Winter - as in this picture is noticeable - the landscapes are always rich and beautiful, with atmospheres where you can feel the past.
picture by Miguel Boim
One of Sintra's iconic motifs is Romanticism, an expression of nature's power swallowing the Industrial Revolution and its machines, which were then emerging. Those were times when foreign travellers often wrote about the Sintra Mountains in their memoirs, such was the impact the mountains had on them..
picture by Miguel Boim
your cicerone:
the author and researcher
Miguel Boim
Miguel Boim at the national tv channel SIC, in the tv series "Meia-Noite", aired on the night of the New Years Eve
100% dedicated to researching Sintra’s local history, Miguel Boim focuses on the human stories woven through the chronicles of Portugal’s former kingdom. Legends, customs, traditions, civil and religious laws, and mystical experiences within monasteries and convents are just some of the elements he sees as essential to understanding the “tree of life” that is Sintra’s past.
In addition to contributing numerous articles over the years to share the history - and stories from the history - of the Sintra Mountains, Miguel has co-authored various literary works and published his own, including the iconic Sintra Lendária, now in its seventh edition.
Living in the past, as he likes to say, Miguel claims that all his best friends are long dead - yet very much alive within the pages of old books and manuscripts. These "friends" have all the time in the world - both in this one and beyond - to tell him their stories of what once happened in the Sintra Mountains and who once wandered its valleys and hills.
Driven by a mission to share Sintra’s history in captivating yet well-researched formats - both written and spoken - Miguel has, in recent years, been involved in projects that have significantly broadened public awareness of the region’s historical richness.
Miguel Boim being received by the students of a Sintra council school
Although research is at the heart of his work, Miguel believes that history truly comes alive when it’s shared. Through night walks, storytelling sessions, and school visits, he brings the past into the present in ways that enchant and inspire. Whether he’s guiding adults through the forested trails of Sintra at night or captivating young students with tales of old, Miguel’s mission remains the same: to reconnect people with history by igniting their sense of wonder.
In one such project, supported by the Sintra City Council, he visits schools to share the legends and folk traditions woven into the region’s cultural heritage—an initiative that proves history, when told with heart, can still spark the imagination of a new generation.
Miguel Boim in the filming of the french documentary
Le Mont de la Lune
Recognition matters - not just from the public, but from the institutions that help preserve cultural memory. When Sintra Lendária was first released in 2015, the launch was held at the Grémio Literário de Lisboa, a venerable literary society founded in 1856, and was presented by Sintra’s mayor, Basílio Horta. It marked not only the publication of a book, but the public validation of a journey that had long been unfolding behind the scenes.
the presentation of the book Sintra Lendária, in the Grémio Literário, by Basílio Horta, Mayor of Sintra Municipality
Due to his deep knowledge of historical accounts by foreign travelers in Portugal, Miguel was invited to contribute a chapter to Mafra Sacra, a book published under the high patronage of the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The book commemorates the 300th anniversary of the Palace and Convent of Mafra.
cover of Mafra Sacra, a book with the high patronage of the President of the Portuguese Republic
Miguel also served as historical consultant for the Sintra Myths and Legends Museum / Interactive Centre, contributing his expertise and earned public trust to the development of its content.
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the Sintra Myths and Legends Museum / Interactive Centre, in the old town
In 2015, before becoming a regular contributor to Jornal de Sintra, the oldest regional newspaper in Portugal, Miguel was interviewed about his early work and motivations. For almost ten years, he penned monthly columns that brought to light forgotten narratives and curious historical insights, steadily building bridges between Sintra’s past and present.
At the University of Évora, Miguel was invited to speak about the history of Sintra and the craft of writing both fiction and non-fiction. His audience: Literature bachelor's and master's degree students eager to understand how lived history and narrative technique can meet in a meaningful, respectful - and sometimes magical - way.
Miguel Boim giving a lecture at the University of Évora for
Literature bachelor's and master's degree students
Around the old town you can get views full of details, curiosities, beauty and layers of history, upon to be discovered.
picture by Miguel Boim
The Mountain of the Moon - with its Moorish Castle in sight - seen from the old town on a night when the full moon was beginning its path across the sky.
picture by Miguel Boim
Participants on one of Miguel Boim's walks, at the end of a foggy day in the mountains.
picture by Paula Custódio
Miguel Boim during the filming of a documentary about the Sintra Mountains, which was to be presented (before the war) in Russia and Ukraine.
