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    Quinta da Regaleira

    4.8 (105 reviews)
    Open 9:30 am - 6:00 pm

    Quinta da Regaleira Photos

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    Alison M.

    This was on my short list of "must see" items while in Sintra. Like everyone else. It's very picture-perfect and Instagram-worthy. I was impressed with the size of the garden and grounds and the massive amount of trails and ways to get through to everything. It seems like there are a dozen different unmarked paths to take to get somewhere and it's easy to wander around and get lost and enjoy. The cafe was nice with a pretty view, the main house was OK but not the star of the show, and the various many follies were beautiful and interesting. We did not purchase a timed ticket in advance but arrived right at open and were able to purchase one for 2 hours later - so we went and had lunch and came back. You definitely need to buy tickets in advance - this is probably even more popular than the palace. Very clean and well-kept with restrooms available, a small cafe with a beautiful view on the patio, and a small gift shop. It's easy to walk here from the historic center of town.

    Frank M.

    I visited Quinta da Regaleira on a very rainy and windy November day, and despite the weather, the property was absolutely stunning and one of the highlights of my trip to Portugal. I didn't have a ticket in advance, but because of the rain, I was able to walk right in after buying one from the ticket machine for €15, which felt like a great deal though I do wish they offered an audio guide. The Initiation Well and the underground tunnels were unforgettable and truly magical. The residence itself was just ok but nice break from the rain. I also ate at the café; the food was good, just a bit overpriced. Overall, I'm so glad I went, and I can't wait to return someday in better weather. Highly recommend!

    Sara G.

    Welcome to Regaleira Palace, Portugal's most dramatic structure. Built in the early 1900s by Monteiro the Millionaire (yeah seriously), this gothic mashup comes with towers and all underground tunnels emulating a secret society. It's part palace and part mystery escape room, part Think gardens full of Masonic symbols and spiral staircases into the abyss's truly stunning. Is it over the top? Absolutely. Worth it? Also yes. Put your inner conspiracy theorist at work.

    Viet T.

    Out of the Pena palace, the Moors castle, and this, I would say this is the best thing we saw all day. They have a decent cafe if you're hungry and the well was amazing and led down to some tunnels that you can see some other really cool sights like a porthole above you and the backside of a waterfall. Don't skip this one!

    Lindsay D.

    Absolutely stunning grounds, gardens, inspiration well. This is a beautiful location you could spend an entire day here. Highly recommend.

    Stacy M.

    "Do you have $3.47? I left my purse in the Underworld." (Elizabeth Hurley, Bedazzled) As Dante would say, abandon all hope, ye who enter here......but do bring with a pair of grippy shoes and your sense of adventure! Quinta da Regaleira is a ten-acre park built by the eccentric Carvalho Monteiro, a wealthy Brazilian mining owner and possible initiate of the Knight's Templar. The grounds include a palace, beautiful gardens, lakes, and the famous Initiation Well, built to represent the nine circles of Dante's Inferno. The well was linked to the Knight's Templar initiation rituals, and there are many other symbols related to Freemasonry, astrology, alchemy, and such scattered throughout the park. The main footpath winds uphill towards the entrance of the Initiation Well, but there are many trails that meander off along the way. There will likely be an intimidatingly long queue for the well no matter what time you arrive, but it moves quickly. As we passed through the well's entrance, we saw no flames and heard no anguished screams...only the deafening silence of those concentrating on their balance down the dark, wet, spooky spiral into the abyss. There are no handrails inside the well, but you can at least grab on to pillars for extra security. Take note that about halfway down, water will start dripping onto you and will puddle up on the steps. At the bottom of the well you will exit through tunnels back out to the park. As for the park's cafe, I would avoid it altogether. Once seated we found ourselves cursed to be completely surrounded by smokers. To make matters worse, our fish entrées looked inedible. We didn't send them back, but re-ordered a Nutella Crepe to split instead. It was a miserable experience. Pack snacks instead. This attraction is a must if you are visiting Sintra, unless you have mobility issues. I would allot 2-3 hours to explore the grounds, including your virtual descent into Hades. I give it 5 beasts of the nether world...but in a good way. *This review is endorsed by George Burns, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Nicholas Cage, and Viggo Mortenson.

    Damp and slippery
    Steven S H C.

    What can you do while in Sintra? Visit every possible tourist site you can muster up. It's about 15 minute tuk tuk rode from the National Palace of Pena. If you are thinking of walking, forget it. Too many cars whizzing by. Quinta da Regaleira will need at least two hours to immerse yourself in this beautiful place. This Romantic Palace its consists of chapel , lakes, grottoes, wells, benches, fountains, and a vast array of exquisite constructions. Definitely loved the wells and grotto that leads to waterfall. Definitely worth $20

    Roy S.

    Excellent visit on my own in May, 2025. Did not tour inside the mansion but checked out the well, tower and castle. Beautiful grounds. Best to buy tickets in advance. The line to enter the well took about 25 minutes. About a 10 minute walk from the town center. If taking Uber back to Lisbon use Ale-Hop as your pickup point.

    Lily H.

    Worth a day trip from Lisbon. We were focused on the initiation well and more pleasantly surprised to see how large the grounds were. One could easily spend 2+ hours here exploring. They seem to be locks about your entry time as we were 10 minutes late and we're still not the last ones in.

    Norman L.

    This place is really unbelievable. I am not sure why everyone wants to go to Pena Palace in Sintra as this place is so much cooler. Built by an eccentric rich guy with an obsession for secret societies, garden is huge with caves, secret passages, turrets, hidden pathways, etc. not much to see in the mansion itself but the grounds are amazing. If you are going to Sintra make sure you go here!

    Christopher B.

    I thought Quinta da Regaleira was a great place to visit in Sintra. Highly underrated. A friend of mine suggestion coming here and it was one of the best parts about our trip to Portugal. Less crowded, great views and an incredible well.

    Quinta da Regaleira Palace
    Linh D.

    Out of all the castles and palaces we visited in Sintra, this was absolutely my favorite one! It is a MUST-SEE! DO NOT SKIP THIS! From Lisbon, we took a train to Sintra and our first palace site was Regaleira. From the research I did, I already knew that I would love this castle and its fairytale like gardens full of cave networks, wells, towers, and narrow spiral staircases. It was everything I expected it to be, and so much more. We decided to walk to Regaleira from the vila since it wasn't too far. It is a bit steep and hilly to get to the entrance at the top so comfortable shoes are a must! We had pre-purchased our tickets and showed it to them on our phones at the entrance, and it was time to explore! We spent 2 hours here, but I honestly think we could have stayed for a third hour. It was quite grand with every twist and turn we took. I suggest that when you get here, you start taking pathways that lead up towards the initiation well. This is the start of a one-way direction path that ends at the oriente grotto. This way you don't have to walk all the way back up to the top. Additionally, the line will get long, especially once all those large tourist groups get there. The initiation well was wonderful. This is one of the photo spots associated with Regaleira. It is pretty wet in there so in addition to wearing comfortable shoes, make sure those are shoes you don't mind getting a little wet and dirty. The initiation well leads to the cave networks where it feels very cool to walk around. There is a spot where people line up to take pictures with a "waterfall", but honestly, just bypass this line, walk through to see it, and turn around. It's not worth the wait and the pictures turn out poorly since it's dark. After going through these caves, we headed towards the palace. The greenery surrounding the palace is just simply amazing. I felt like I was in a Disney movie. In my opinion, I feel that for most palaces, the outside is more spectacular than the interior and Regaleira is no different. It's honestly not that big inside the palace either, or at least the area open to the public was small, but you learn about the history of the castle inside. After going inside the castle, we continued exploring the rest of the sites we missed like the lake and some more caves, and we took some last-minute photos before leaving. What I love about Regaleira is that as beautiful as the palace exterior is, the gardens are also equally as wondrous, maybe even more so. That's why I feel that people should spend more time at this park because exploring the grounds is an absolute must. I cannot say that enough. 10/10 highly recommend.

    Marcie L.

    I came here on a day trip from Lisboa. It was quite the adventure. The place is absolutely beautiful and so unique. The spiral staircase stood out the most. They have a nice café with delicious croissants. Make sure to get there a little before 10 AM because the line gets pretty long otherwise. Our tour guide bought tickets in advance. It's definitely worth the visit.

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    Quinta da Regaleira Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Quinta da Regaleira

    Don't miss the Initiation Well, the chapel, and the intricately carved wooden ceilings in the main palace.

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    Castelo dos Mouros - At Castelo dos Mouros

    Castelo dos Mouros

    4.7(14 reviews)
    0.7 km

    This is a beautiful castle and the walk up from the historic city center was easy, beautiful, and…read moreworth it! Walking the ramparts of this ancient castle, which you can see from anywhere you are in Sintra, is a must do. My husband is afraid of heights and he was not overly excited about walking the castle because it is pretty sketchy - there aren't guard rails to prevent falling off. Views of the town of Sintra and the Pena Palace are stunning. Absolutely worth the visit.

    The Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors) is a set of open-air castle ruins on a hilltop. Most…read moreof the visit experience consists of climbing up and down stone steps and walking along castle walls. It unexpectedly rained during most of my visit, even though the skies were clear earlier in the day, and even directly after my visit. The height, occasional lack of guard rails, light-to-medium rain, and mist flowing uphill all combined in some places to create an eery mystique, not easily expressed through photos. However, there were moments when the mist and clouds cleared to show spectacular broad views of the town and countryside below. Make sure you wear sturdy shoes with grip, as most surfaces are cobblestone. Consider bringing a hooded jacket, wide-brim hat, or umbrella in case of rain or excessive sun. The only structure with a roof, other than the ticket office and restrooms, is the church (Ingreja de São Pedro de Canaferrim) building. I took the 434 bus to and from the castle due to rain, but might have walked from town otherwise. The 434 bus has USB-A plugs that can slow-charge one's electronics.

    Photos
    Castelo dos Mouros - Moorish Castle

    Moorish Castle

    Castelo dos Mouros - Inside the church (Ingreja de São Pedro de Canaferrim): a scale model of the Castelo dos Mouros site

    Inside the church (Ingreja de São Pedro de Canaferrim): a scale model of the Castelo dos Mouros site

    Castelo dos Mouros - Inside Ingreja de São Pedro de Canaferrim

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    Inside Ingreja de São Pedro de Canaferrim

    Parque e Palácio Nacional da Pena - golden dome

    Parque e Palácio Nacional da Pena

    4.2(138 reviews)
    1.1 km

    One of Portugals must see day trips! You can't complete a Portugal trip without visiting the fairy…read moretale castle: National Palace of Pena. Beautiful and easy to get to. I took a tour option of the palace to avoid lines. But you can easily get here by train or bus. When I came here the inside was still under construction, so my tour guide recommended that we just tour the outside since inside would only be about 15 minutes. I love how you can see the three ways this building was made, definitely worth taking a tour to understand this place importance. However, you can still appreciate the tile work, views, intention, and colors of this historic palace.

    Pena Palace, the more tourist-friendly name for Parque e Palácio Nacional da Pena, is a UNESCO…read moreWorld Heritage site a 45-minute train ride from Lisbon. It's one of Portugal's most popular attractions even if getting there is a bit of a slog. The palace sits high atop a steep hill and getting to it takes much more than just a train ride. The train takes you to the town of Sintra but busses take you to the ticketing windows and more busses take you to and from the castle entrance. Other palaces and castles are present in the expansive park but they require separate entrance fees and other busses to access, which pretty well explains why I visited only Pena Palace during my time in Sintra. Lots of folks advance-book tours of the palace (including transportation) and other park attractions which, though more expensive than the DIY mode is certainly easier. Still, if you're handling things on your own, the number of guides trying to sell you on a tour when you get off the train in Sintra will give you a chance to reassess. I did it on my own, bypassing all of those who were offering tours. Pena Palace itself, once inside, was easy to navigate. It's a quirky and colorful place, somewhat Disney-esque, and you'll walk though it in a long line of other tourists doing the same. The one place where you can escape the lines is out on the terraces, worth experiencing for the breathtaking views. And, if you've planned nothing more than getting back to Lisbon, do make time to enjoy the views from the castle's outdoor cafe (with rather lousy food). I was encouraged to bus back down to a certain spot then walked from there back to the town of SIntra and its train station. This is a worthy plan as the park itself is filled with beautiful sites, statues, and nature. Even if you've planned to see only Pena Palace this is a good way to see a bit more of what the park holds.

    Photos
    Parque e Palácio Nacional da Pena - Cruz Alto

    Cruz Alto

    Parque e Palácio Nacional da Pena - Monsteras!

    Monsteras!

    Parque e Palácio Nacional da Pena

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    Palácio de Monserrate - Hallway

    Palácio de Monserrate

    4.9(13 reviews)
    2.2 km

    When checking out and reviewing the palaces we could check out in Sintra, I didn't really see too…read moremany people talking about Monserrate Palace. I looked at pictures online and the architecture looked pretty nice, so I decided that it was worth seeing while we were here - a decision that I'm glad I made. After visiting Regaleira in the morning, we took an Uber here. You can also take the bus but we were on a time crunch and decided an Uber was pretty worth it. It's honestly not that expensive so I'd even recommend that option. This palace is pretty far from the rest of the mainstream castles and palaces like Pena, Moorish, and Regaleira so a bus would definitely take some time. We had already pre-purchased our tickets online so they scanned it from our phones and off we went. Even thought the line for buying tickets was nonexistent there, I totally recommend doing this as you get a small discount from buying online beforehand. We headed straight for the palace. It truly is one of the underrated palaces. It's no Moorish Castle as it's not big nor grand, but it's quaint and charming in its own way. There's way less people here so it's not as chaotic, and you could take nice pictures. It has a beautiful hallway, and I absolutely love the ceilings. Always remember to look up at these types of structures because the ceilings may surprise you with beautiful designs. Aside from the palace, the garden is also nice to walk around for a bit. Again, I like how quiet and peaceful it was compared to the other castles and palaces. It felt serene to walk around the park. The lawns were so green and lush. There were a few ponds as well as mini waterfalls. Although, the gardens are definitely skippable if you're on a time crunch. I don't think it's an absolute must-see, but if you have the time, I would definitely recommend a stop at this palace. As a tourist, you're only here once right?

    This palace is so beautiful. I loved that it was not as crowded as all the others…read more The designs and molding throughout are so intricate. I decided to take an Uber here. The bus took too long and the price differential isn't significant. I'm glad that I didn't skip on this one. Definitely recommend this one.

    Photos
    Palácio de Monserrate - The fountain is in the center of the palace

    The fountain is in the center of the palace

    Palácio de Monserrate
    Palácio de Monserrate - The palace

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    The palace

    Castelo Dos Mouros - View

    Castelo Dos Mouros

    4.4(29 reviews)
    2.0 km

    AMAZING CASTLE NEAR PENA PALACE IN SINTRA, PORTUGAL…read more================================================= My husband, son, daughter-in-law and I visted the Castelo Dos Mouros on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. We had just finished our visit to the Pena Palace and walk through the Pena Palace Park. The entrance up this castle is close to the bottom of the park. This castle was built by the Moors in the 8th and 9th centuries. It was taken by Christian forces after the fall of Lisbon in 1147. It is a National Monument and a Unesco World Heritage Site. There was a couple scary parts when we walked up stairs to walk along the tops of the castle walls. The walkways are narrow and there was only room for people walking in one direction. I panicked a bit when I saw someone walking towards me because there was no way two people would fit and there was a drop off on one side. The views are amazing up there so you will have lots of photo opportunities. There's also a little cafe where you can order something to drink, grab a bite to eat and several tables and chairs, so you can sit down and take a break. My husband and I definitely took a break while my son and daughter-in-law tackled one of the last steep sets of stairs. We got about 15,000 steps in that day. The landscaping around the castle is gorgeous too.

    I walked here after visiting Pena palace and this was a really nice stroll. The pictures don't do…read morethis castle and the views from it any justice. You really have to come and see for yourself. The paths were quite narrow in some areas without much safety precautions in place so I felt a bit wobbly in some areas where other tourists were in a bit of a rush, but I just let them go ahead of me. The path does get quite steep so make sure to bring good shoes and water to stay hydrated.

    Photos
    Castelo Dos Mouros
    Castelo Dos Mouros
    Castelo Dos Mouros

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    Quinta da Regaleira - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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