Palace in Sintra
Quinta da Regaleira is a Gothic Revival estate with a palace, chapel, and gardens containing tunnels, grottoes, and the famous Initiation Well, a 27-meter spiral staircase descending underground. Entry is paid. The well, the underground tunnels connecting to other parts of the estate, and the moss-covered garden paths are the highlights. Budget travelers rank this as the most memorable paid experience in Sintra and often choose it over the Pena Palace for the price.
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Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point of mainland Europe, a windswept cliff 140 meters above the Atlantic with a lighthouse and a stone marker reading "where the land ends and the sea begins." Free. The Sintra-Cascais bus (cheap) runs from Sintra to Cabo da Roca.
The Moorish Castle is a 10th-century fortification on the ridge above Sintra, with crenellated walls snaking along the hilltop. Entry is paid and can be combined with a Pena Palace ticket.
Pena Palace is a Romanticist castle on a hilltop above Sintra, painted in bright yellows, reds, and purples, combining Moorish, Gothic, Renaissance, and Manueline elements into one fantastical building. Entry is paid.
The Sintra National Palace is a royal palace in the center of Sintra town, recognizable by its two massive conical chimneys. Entry is paid.
Sintra's town center is a compact village of pastel-colored buildings, pastry shops, and winding lanes beneath the palace-studded hills. Free to walk.
Working out what Sintra costs?
The whole of Sintra