Sintra is home to many extravagant 19th-century villas, but none are more intriguing than the Quinta da Regaleira.

This grand house is a fusion of eccentric, neo-gothic architecture and whimsically decorative features. However, the main attraction of Quinta da Regaleira is its gardens. These are not the conservative gardens of a conventional stately home, but those of an owner fascinated with secret religious orders and mysticism.

It is speculated that the owner used the grounds for secretive ceremonies and was a member of the Knights Templar. Found within the gardens is a hidden cave network and forested pathways that connect the ornamental lakes, chapel and - the highlight of Quinta da Regaleira - the Poço Iniciático (The Initiation Well).

The Quinta da Regaleira is a fascinating tourist attraction, and for many visitors to Sintra it is the highlight of the region. Unfortunately, its fame means it can get very crowded at peak times (which can be easily avoided) and many visitors are left confused when trying to travel to it.
This article will provide an independent guide to the wondrous Quinta da Regaleira and help you get the most from your visit here.
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The Poço Iniciático (Initiation Well) – A mysterious, inverted tower constructed around a well, which descends via a spiral staircase to a Knights Templar Cross inscribed on the floor. Its design was inspired by secretive religious ceremonies, but possibly also hosted them!

The Palácio da Regaleira - The luxurious villa with its flamboyant, neo-gothic exterior, including elaborate carvings and stone gargoyles.

The Gruta do Oriente - Designed to resemble a cave network, this series of hidden passageways dug beneath the gardens connects the Poço Iniciático to the Lago da Cascata.

Capela da Santíssima Trindade – An ornate chapel with an impressive, gothic-styled tower, an interior that features Knights Templar icons, and a secret passageway leading from the crypt to the Palácio da Regaleira.

1) Visit early or late in the day, and try to avoid the peak hours of 10.30am to 12pm and 1pm to 3pm.

2) While the Poço Iniciático is impressive, there can be long queues to walk down it. An alternative is the Poço Imperfeito (Unfinished Well), which is always less busy and more atmospheric.

3) The Quinta da Regaleira is easy to walk to from the historic centre of Sintra, so there is no need for a taxi, bus or expensive tuk-tuk. It is also faster to walk the 1.8km distance from the train station to the Quinta da Regaleira (route here) than taking the 435 bus service, due to the lengthy route the bus is forced to take.

4) The main entrance is hidden away on the far western side of the Quinta da Regaleira estate. To reach it, you need to walk around the entire southern and western exterior walls and follow the narrow roads.

5) Quinta da Regaleira opens at 10am. If possible, be there at opening time and go straight to the Poço Iniciático.

6) If the Quinta da Regaleira is too busy, do consider visiting the Palácio Biester, which is next door, or the Palácio de Monserrate, an underrated gem of Sintra (and our personal favourite place to visit during the peak season).

7) The Torre da Regaleira provides the best viewpoint of the entire gardens.

The entrance fee for the Quinta da Regaleira is €11 for adults, €6 for youths (aged 6 to 17) and €6 for seniors.

The opening hours are from 10am to 7pm (summer) and 10am to 6.30pm (winter), with the last admission at 5.30pm year-round.

Generally, it is best to buy tickets for the Quinta da Regaleira from the ticket office on arrival. There is no need to purchase beforehand - as needed for the Palácio da Pena and it’s designed timed visit slots.

If there is a long queue to enter Quinta da Regaleira, then it will be uncomfortably crowded inside, and it is advisable to visit the Palácio de Monserrate or the Palácio Biester instead. You can return to Quinta da Regaleira later in the day, preferably after 4pm when the crowds tend to lessen.

Insight: The Quinta da Regaleira is not owned by Parques De Sintra, the organisation that manages all of the other sights in Sintra.

A typical visit to the Quinta da Regaleira lasts 2 hours, and the majority of the time will be spent in the gardens. As this is an outdoor-focused attraction, do not visit on a wet day.

On-site is the Café da Regaleira, which gets mixed reviews, mainly due to it being extremely busy as it is the only location in the Quinta da Regaleira for food or drinks. Our advice is to bring your own water and have lunch in the historic centre.

The Quinta da Regaleira is a fascinating tourist attraction and a visit should definitely be included during your trip to Sintra.

In our opinion, it is the second-best attraction of Sintra - 1st Palácio da Pena, 2nd Quinta da Regaleira, 3rd Palácio de Monserrate, 4th Castelo dos Mouros, 5th Palácio Nacional and 6th Palácio Biester.

Our high regard for the Quinta da Regaleira is due to the variety of things to see here, with a plethora of sights to explore. This is the ideal attraction for those who may find historic buildings monotonous or have little interest in history.

The only downside, as with everything in Sintra, is that it can get very crowded with tourists. In the peak season, there will be countless people taking selfies at the viewpoints and long queues to enter the Poço Iniciático. Thankfully, the grounds are large enough for some tranquillity, especially to the rear around the Gruta da Virgem.

The Sala da Caça (the hunting room), is the grandest room of the house and was used as the dining room. The room’s art has the theme of the circle of life and is dominated by the huge fireplace

The Quinta da Regaleira lies to the western side of Sintra and sits on the Rua Barbosa du Bocage. The main entrance is on the western side of the estate and is located at GPS 38.79585, -9.39724. From the Praça da República in central Sintra, it is 800 meters - a 10-minute walk.

From the train station, it is a 20-minute (1.8km) walk. This is a scenic route that passes around the Volta do Duche valley and through the historic centre of Sintra. The route is almost entirely flat and can be seen here on google maps.

The 435 bus service connects the train station to the Quinta da Regaleira and continues on to the Palácio de Monserrate. A single bus ticket costs €3.75, but often the 24-hour hop-on, hop-off ticket for all Sintra buses (at €12.50) will be encouraged for sale first. This ticket is useful if you plan to visit Palácio da Pena or Castelo dos Mouros on the same day as the Quinta da Regaleira.

The annoyance with the bus is the long and convoluted route it is forced to take, as the centre of Sintra is closed to all traffic. This involves a 4.4km journey on twisting roads and the bus often gets stuck in traffic along the N375. The bus route can be seen here.

Alternatives to the bus are taxis, TVDE cars (Uber or Bolt) or tuk-tuks. Uber and Bolt are significantly cheaper than taxis, but all types of traffic will be forced to go the same way as the bus.

Insight: If you only want to see the Quinta da Regaleira and the centre of Sintra, it is better to walk.

For a day trip to Sintra, we would recommend visiting the Quinta da Regaleira (or the Palácio Nacional de Sintra), wander the historic centre, then go into the hills to visit the Moors Castle and the Pena Palace. The highlight of this day will be the Pena Palace, and the route is served by the 434 tourist bus (guide here).

Note: This route would be the ideal day if there were only a few tourists in Sintra. During the peak season when the town is crowded, you maybe wish to visit the Pena Palace earlier in the day.

For a day trip to Sintra, we always suggest that the Quinta da Regaleira and the Palácio Nacional de Sintra are interchangeable. If you have an interest in Portuguese history and ancient palaces, then visit the Palácio Nacional de Sintra, if you prefer more quirky sites then head to the Quinta da Regaleira.
Related articles: Day trip to Sintra

The outside façade of the grand house is decorated with gothic turrets, carved gargoyles and other ornate features. Inside, the building spreads over five floors, but it’s very sparse in actual original details. The true wonder of the Quinta da Regaleira are the grounds, which cover four hectares and were inspired by the owner’s mystic ideologies.

There are references to the Knights Templar, the Masons and dark alchemy, all hidden within the grounds. The well is the strangest feature, which symbolises the initiation ceremony for the Knights Templar. In the well, there is a concealed passage that after descending 27 meters connects to a series of tunnels that run the length of the gardens.

The house was constructed in 1904 by the wealthy Portuguese businessman Carvalho Monteiro, which gave rise to the residence’s local name of “Palace of the Monteiro Millionaire”.

The house was in construction for over 6 years, but on the death of Carvalho Monteiro, the house was purchased by Waldemar d’Orey.

It stayed within the family until 1987, when it was bought by a Japanese business for private functions. Sintra local government reclaimed this important national monument it 1997 and opened it to the public in 1998.

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