The Arribas Hotel Sintra - Europe's best swimming pool?
World Europe Portugal Sintra best swimming pool
1. The hotel web-site can be found at: www.arribashotel.com/
2. Our view is that the Arribas hotel is one of Portugal’s finest and the swimming pool is the best in Portugal, if not the world.
Getting there
3. See the excellent Rome to Rio travel site - www.rome2rio.com/
4. From Lisbon - Train to Sintra (from 3 euros) or Cascais (from 3 euros) and then an Uber (from 10 - 12 euros).
5. From Lisbon - Train to Cascais or Sintra and then a bus (around 2.5 euros)
6. Bus from Lisbon (around 4 euros).
The Arribas Hotel - Make a Booking
7. Please use our Agoda link to book:
www.agoda.com/partners/partnersearch.aspx?pcs=1&cid=1902883&hl=en-us&hid=18513304
Praia Grande
8. Praia Grande or in English ‘Big Beach’ is next to the hotel. It is 1 km long. Great for walking or sunbathing. But, be careful, the water here is dangerous. Swim in the pool at the hotel unless you are an experienced, competent swimmer.
9. See our video on Praia Grande at: ua-cam.com/users/ThePortugalGuide Restaurants, Bars and cafes in the Area.
10. The Arribas Hotel. Restaurant and café - www.arribashotel.com/
11. The Pipeline at Praia Grande - No website - Café / Bar / Restaurant
12. Bar do Fundo - BardoFundo
13. Restaurant Nortada - restaurantenortada.com/Things to do.
14. Sintra - A magical Place - Just go. 15 minutes from the Arribas Hotel. See: www.parquesdesintra.pt/en/parks-monuments/national-palace-of-sintra/ and www.visitportugal.com/en/content/discovering-sintra
15. Praia Grande Surf School praiagrandesurfschool.negocio.site/?
16. Surf School Surf at Praia Grande www.surfatsurfschool.com/ (the two surf schools are 100m apart but are different companies).
17. Fantastic walks in the area.
18. Check out the Colares municipality (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colares_(Sintra))
The Hotel in Detail
Restaurants and Bars
1. All are good and the staff are fantastic. We have only had great meals there. Breakfast, during Covid, was good. We highly recommend the café that is open to the public.
2. See the hotel web-site: www.arribashotel.com/caffe
The Reception.
3. As you enter the hotel, you come to a beautiful reception. To the left is a small bar seating area, to the right check in and check out. In front, a seating area and an incredible view of the sea.
4. The hotel is on four floors (plus a lower floor for the pool entrance). The top floor, number 3, where the reception is, has two wings with rooms, all have a sea view.
The second floor.
5. The second floor has a study room with seats, tables and a pool table. There are two wings containing suites. All with a Sea View.
The First Floor
6. The first floor contains the restaurant, bar and ballroom. All have floor to ceiling windows with impressive views of the sea and swimming pool. There is a magnificent terrace that runs the whole length of the hotel with seating.
The Ground Floor
7. The ground floor contains two wings. All the rooms have pool and sea views.
8. The hotel entrance to the swimming pool is on a lower floor below this floor.
Our Room - 302.
9. Four types of rooms are available - Standard, Family Suite, Superior Double and Superior Executive. Our room was the Superior Double.
The Swimming Pool
10. The most impressive feature of the hotel is, of course, the swimming pool. 100 meters in length and up to 3.5 meters deep.
11. The pool is open late April to October.12. You can enter the pool from the hotel or a separate public entrance. The pool, apart from August, is never busy.
13. For details of pricing for the public, please see the hotel link.
14. Our recommendation is do not miss this pool. Either stay at the hotel or come and pay a daily admission.