Portugal Guide: Quinta da Regaleira

Quinta da Regaleira

We’ve just returned from an incredible 7 days exploring Portugal. It feels like I have several weeks worth of activities, cultural and culinary experiences to share with you and at a little bit of a loss as to where we begin with the adventure of Portugal, I’ve decided to start with one of my favorite outings. We rented a car for our trip to give us flexibility and drove about an hour from Lisbon to Sintra to explore the grand palaces and estates. Please note, driving in Sintra, especially in a compact SUV, is not for the faint of heart. The roads are winding and narrow and the traffic is self directed.

Having successfully navigated our way, we walked up to the Quinta da Regaliera. Built in 1900 this gorgeous estate is classified as World Heritage by UNESCO. Upon approaching Quinta da Regaleira, you’ll be enchanted by the romance of the gardens, captivated by the grand Gothic architecture of the palace and the chapel and of course, entertained by the wondrous grottos and gardens.

We started our visit with a lunch at the Quinta da Regaliera cafe. There is indoor and outdoor seating with a small menu of some traditional Portuguese and French fare. We were seated indoors and enjoyed sandwiches, salmon gratin, wine, coffee, and crepes! It was a lovely respite before exploring the grounds. (slide through the photo carousel for images)

Next, we stopped by the Chapel and the Palace. Only the main floor of Regaleira Palace is accessible to visitors, with the upper floors opening only for special exhibits. We enjoyed touring the ornate rooms with stunning vistas and balcony’s. After touring the Palace, we enjoyed free reign of the grounds.

The estate hosts an extensive system of tunnels that my son was especially delighted to explore. We walked to “Initiation Well”/”Inverted Tower” and its connecting tunnels and underground walkways. Fun fact, this was used for ceremonial rituals, initiations, and tarot.

We spent several hours at Quinta da Regaliera and I would definitely recommend this activity on your visit to Sintra.