Take a trip to the magical Quinta da Regaleira

The setting is right out of a period romance novel- dreamy castle, flourishing garden, shimmering lakes with whimsical fountains, charming wells and a spread of enchanting buildings. Also known as “Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire”, this romantic escapade of Quinta da Regaleira near the city center of Sintra, Portugal is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

A combination of Roman, Gothic, Renaissance and Manueline architectural styles, the estate began construction in 1904 and took 6 years to complete. Gothic takes center-stage on the building’s façade with soaring Gothic pinnacles and imposing gargoyles. There are five floors to explore, with dining halls, living rooms, bedrooms and a handful of balconies that lend views to the quaint gardens.

Erected in front of the palace is the Regaleira Chapel, a Roman Catholic Chapel bearing the same architecture style as the castle’s. Its interior is richly ornamented with stained glass windows, frescoes and extravagant stuccoes. Study the floor and you’ll realise they are representations of a spherical diagram of the Portuguese discoveries and the Order of Christ Cross, enveloped by pentagrams.

The highlight of Quinta da Regaleira is really the sprawling park, almost four hectares of land blanketed with trees and scattered with a labyrinth of roads and footpaths. Arranged into upper and lower parts, the lower grounds are rooted with neatly arranged vegetation and colourful blooming flowers while the upper part is left to the wild. Symbolic and decorative structures are dotted throughout the park, peppering your walk around the castle grounds with intriguing sights everywhere you turn.

What you must visit is the vast network of the underground network of tunnels that link to the grottoes, chapel, lakes and even to a cave below the Regaleira Tower. There’s an “Initiation Well”, an inverted tower with a 27-meter staircase, also known as Iniciatic Well that links underground and connects with the other tunnels or underground walkways. Exploring them makes you feel you’re escaping from invading troops back in the day.

To cap the whole magical experience at Quinta da Regaleira, there are two gleaming (artificial) lakes and several ornately designed fountains that offer soothing sights. And if that’s not enough, there’s also an aquarium, the most extravagant feature of the estate, built to look like it’s embedded in a rock. Sadly though, due to neglect and poor conservation, the once impressive structure is now in a state of disarray.

Tip: there are only Portuguese tours in the afternoon. So head there in the morning if possible. It’ll allow you more time to explore the grounds anyway.

Have you been to the Quinta da Regaleira before? Which is your favorite part of this slice of paradise?