Even from the windows of the train, we knew we were in for something magical, but we couldn’t have imagined just how amazing a day in Sintra was going to be.

Spending a day in Sintra is easy if you are staying in Lisbon and a must see while you are visiting Portugal. You could opt to stay in Sintra, but for most, it’s a bit on the pricey side, but there are some beautiful places to stay for certain. That’s really not a problem because Sintra is just 1 hour by train from Lisbon and outlying areas.

If you are staying in downtown Lisbon there are a couple of train stations. Be sure to go to the Rossio train station. It’s closest to the center of town. This is where the train heads inland. The other train station runs up and down the coast towards Belem. We wasted a good hour going to the wrong train station first. You buy your ticket at the train station and you need to have your passport with you.

Since we arrived a little late in Sintra we headed straight into town looking for a place to have lunch. You can catch a taxi or minicab if you like. It’s a beautiful walk but quite a bit of uphill. If you decide to walk there are street artists along the way, it’s a beautiful.

While having lunch we talked to a local, our waiter. Super nice guy and he was happy to share his recommendations about what we should see. Since we only had the afternoon, he recommended that we see Quinta da Regaleira first without reservation and then if we had time then we should see the Pena Palace. Always good to talk to locals, he was absolutely right.

Quinta da Regaleira

Quinta da Regaleira was amazingly beautiful and mysterious. After changing hands several times in history the property was purchased by Antonio Monteiro, a very wealthy man with unusual ideologies. Luigi Manini a renowned Italian operatic set designer worked alongside Monteiro to bring his ideas to reality.

The property embodies Roman, Gothic, Rennisance and Maueline style.

The Initiation Well is a fascinating piece of mystery. The well was never used for water, rather for as the name implies, initiation ceremonies. Monteiro was a Masonic and precisely what type of ceremonies happened there is not known. I know my imagination went wild as I looked at the steps decending deep into the darkness of the earth.

The staircase winds down along the wall to the bottom and is a fairly easy trek. In good condition we found it to be quite safe if you are decent health and have decent knees. No concern that you need to climb the stairs in order to exit…..there are secret tunnels at the bbottom leading out to beautiful gardens and a grotto with stepping stones if you chose that route.

The palace is straight out of a fairytale. Surrounded by exquisite gardens, fountains, towers, pathways, and its own private church. Give yourself at least two hours, more if you can, there is so much to see. Invest in the self-guided tour, so much information and it will help you see things in the fantastical gardens you might otherwise miss. Grab yourself a map too, the property is nearly 10 acres in size, having direction will save you time.

Pena Palace

The Pena Palace is a flamboyant crown atop the hills overlooking Sintra with Moorish, Gothic and Manueline design. The red is what was the old monastery and the new palace is painted yellow. The Palace is a protected UNESCO site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. Today it is still used on occasion for state events by Portugal’s President.