While many of the castles that can be toured in Sintra once belonged to royalty, Quinta da Regaleira belonged to a wealthy – and eccentric – Brazilian-Portuguese businessman. The property gets its name from its owner in the mid-1840s, the Baroness of Regaleira. In 1893, it was sold at public auction to Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. Carvalho Monteiro purchased adjacent properties to expand the estate and built the current mansion between 1904 and 1910.
Quinta da Regaleira is perhaps the most intriguing property in Sintra. While other castles were built as fortifications or displays of wealth, Quinta da Regaleira was built to satisfy the whims of an eccentric millionaire who was a member of the Freemasons secret society. Secret tunnels, occult symbolism, an inverted tower dubbed an “initiation well” – all of these things make the grounds one of the most fascinating places in Sintra.
Igor drove us to Quinta da Regaleira from Pena Palace and we got extremely lucky to find a spot on the street nearby. We walked up to the entrance and got our first view of the mansion built on a hill above huge stone walls. It was a really imposing structure from the street below.
We bought our tickets and headed down a path towards the gardens. We came across several watch towers, all of which were open and available to climb and explore.
After wandering around for a bit, we headed to perhaps the most famous part of the grounds – the Initiation Well. Rumored to be part of secret ceremonies, the initiation well is an inverted tower whose spiral staircase leads down 88 feet to a series of tunnels that emerge in various spots throughout the gardens. The spiral has 9 levels, said to represent Dante’s nine circles of Hell. The circular floor at the bottom of the well features tiles depicting a compass over a Knights Templar cross. Although the exact purpose of the well is unconfirmed, many believe that it was used to initiate knights into the Templar Order. Candidates were sent down the well blindfolded, in armor and carrying a sword. They had to find their way down the stairs and out of the tunnels in order to be accepted into the brotherhood.
We made our way down to the bottom and through one of the tunnels. (Thankfully we were not blindfolded!) We exited to a small garden with a beautiful pond and waterfall. Mossy stepping stones created a path from the tunnel exit to the other side of the water. It was beautiful and peaceful.
We made our way back out of the caves and tunnels and up to ground level and continued to wander. The lush grounds were perfectly designed to make old stone walls and towers blend in with the landscape. The gardens were obviously meticulously planned and maintained yet all the trees and plants felt like a natural part of the surroundings.
We headed toward the mansion, passing the Fountain of Plenty, a gorgeous garden bench, and the chapel.
We made it to the entrance of the house… and just walked in! There was literally no line at all. It was so refreshing after the 45 minute wait at Pena Palace that led to us giving up and abandoning the interior palace tour.
The mansion is 5 stories but you can only visit the first floor. The rooms were impressive but the details really made the residence stand out. An ornate Neo-Manueline entryway, intricately carved wooden ceilings, brass lion head door knockers, beautiful azulejo tiles. With no crowds it is tempting to just glance into the rooms and keep moving but that is really doing the mansion a disservice. Take the time to look deeper and notice the details.
Upon exiting the house, you have a beautiful view of the well-manicured gardens closest to the mansion. We were there in early spring and the colors of the blooming flowers were so pretty against the lush green vegetation.
We headed down the hill and towards the exit but made sure to turn around and get one last look up at the beautiful mansion in the hillside. The blue sky popped behind the gray stone building, somehow making the Neo-gothic architectural details stand out even more.
We really enjoyed our visit to Quinta da Regaleira and felt like it was the perfect compliment to Pena Palace. At Pena Palace, the focus was on the building itself whereas at Quinta da Regaleira the gardens and grounds took center stage. This felt like someplace we could have spent another hour or two wandering. There were so many nooks and crannies and hidden gems. The estate’s history – and mystery – make it one of the top places to visit in Sintra.
