A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Playa de las Americas vs. Sintra-Cascais National Park for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Playa de las Americas or Sintra-Cascais National Park?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Playa de las Americas and Sintra-Cascais National Park can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Playa de las Americas or Sintra-Cascais National Park?

Playa de las Americas

If you are looking to escape your life - to relax on a modern day pleasure island, then you need to book a trip to the Playa de las Americas resort town. Located on the south coast of Tenerife, this party, beach, and vacation capital never goes to sleep. Packed with nightclubs, bars, live music, shops and restaurants, Playa de las Americas is the stuff Hollywood movies are made of.

Sintra-Cascais National Park

The Sintra-Cascais Natural Park is located on the west coast of Portugal and is often called the place where "the land ends and the sea begins". The UNESCO listed park is famous for being home to Cabo da Roca, a seaside cliff that is actually the westernmost part of Europe. Sintra-Cascais is interesting due to their large diversity in landscape which includes sand dunes, lakes, forests, and ocean cliffs.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Barcelona, The Best 10-Day Tours from Madrid, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Portugal, and The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Portugal.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Playa de las Americas and Sintra-Cascais National Park, we can see that Playa de las Americas is more expensive. And not only is Sintra-Cascais National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Sintra-Cascais National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Sintra-Cascais National Park and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Playa de las Americas would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Playa de las Americas than you might in Sintra-Cascais National Park.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Playa de las Americas Expensive? and Is Sintra-Cascais National Park Expensive?.

When is the best time to visit Playa de las Americas or Sintra-Cascais National Park?

Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.

Should I visit Playa de las Americas or Sintra-Cascais National Park in the Summer?

Both Sintra-Cascais National Park and Playa de las Americas during the summer are popular places to visit.

In July, Playa de las Americas is generally around the same temperature as Sintra-Cascais National Park. Daily temperatures in Playa de las Americas average around 24°C (75°F), and Sintra-Cascais National Park fluctuates around 23°C (73°F).

In Sintra-Cascais National Park, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Playa de las Americas. In the summer, Playa de las Americas often gets less sunshine than Sintra-Cascais National Park. Playa de las Americas gets 268 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Sintra-Cascais National Park receives 352 hours of full sun.

Playa de las Americas usually gets less rain in July than Sintra-Cascais National Park. Playa de las Americas gets 2 mm (0.1 in) of rain, while Sintra-Cascais National Park receives 5 mm (0.2 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Playa de las Americas or Sintra-Cascais National Park in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Playa de las Americas and Sintra-Cascais National Park.

Playa de las Americas is a little warmer than Sintra-Cascais National Park in the autumn. The daily temperature in Playa de las Americas averages around 24°C (75°F) in October, and Sintra-Cascais National Park fluctuates around 19°C (66°F).

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Sintra-Cascais National Park this time of the year. In Playa de las Americas, it's very sunny this time of the year. Playa de las Americas usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Sintra-Cascais National Park during autumn. Playa de las Americas gets 200 hours of sunny skies, while Sintra-Cascais National Park receives 213 hours of full sun in the autumn.

In October, Playa de las Americas usually receives less rain than Sintra-Cascais National Park. Playa de las Americas gets 20 mm (0.8 in) of rain, while Sintra-Cascais National Park receives 80 mm (3.1 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Should I visit Playa de las Americas or Sintra-Cascais National Park in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Playa de las Americas as well as Sintra-Cascais National Park.

In the winter, Playa de las Americas is much warmer than Sintra-Cascais National Park. Typically, the winter temperatures in Playa de las Americas in January average around 19°C (66°F), and Sintra-Cascais National Park averages at about 12°C (53°F).

In the winter, Playa de las Americas often gets more sunshine than Sintra-Cascais National Park. Playa de las Americas gets 191 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Sintra-Cascais National Park receives 144 hours of full sun.

It's quite rainy in Sintra-Cascais National Park. Playa de las Americas usually gets less rain in January than Sintra-Cascais National Park. Playa de las Americas gets 29 mm (1.1 in) of rain, while Sintra-Cascais National Park receives 110 mm (4.3 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Playa de las Americas or Sintra-Cascais National Park in the Spring?

Both Sintra-Cascais National Park and Playa de las Americas are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities.

In April, Playa de las Americas is generally a little warmer than Sintra-Cascais National Park. Daily temperatures in Playa de las Americas average around 20°C (68°F), and Sintra-Cascais National Park fluctuates around 16°C (60°F).

It's quite sunny in Sintra-Cascais National Park. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Playa de las Americas. Playa de las Americas usually receives less sunshine than Sintra-Cascais National Park during spring. Playa de las Americas gets 205 hours of sunny skies, while Sintra-Cascais National Park receives 235 hours of full sun in the spring.

In April, Playa de las Americas usually receives less rain than Sintra-Cascais National Park. Playa de las Americas gets 11 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while Sintra-Cascais National Park receives 64 mm (2.5 in) of rain each month for the spring.

Typical Weather for Sintra-Cascais National Park and Playa de las Americas