*Moorish Castle in Sintra, as seen from the Quinta da Regaleira grounds*

Holy smokes, Sintra. Where have you been all my life? The travel blogs I had researched and the recollections from friends back home did not prepare me for this vibrant & magical city at the foothills of the densely forested Sintra Mountains of Portugal. The historic city center with its narrow, steep streets, mustard-colored buildings, and inviting cafes would be enough to draw crowds. But if you gaze up into the forested terrain, you’ll see there are even more jewels to explore. Palaces, villas, & castles fit for kings and queens await exploring. Prepare to be whisked away to this whimsical place called Sintra.

To Sintra We Go!

From Ericeira, the surf town we are staying in for two weeks, Sintra was only a 45 minute curvy drive south. The same distance for those coming from Lisbon. We Bolt-ed (Portugal's Uber), the easiest mode of transpo. But also cheap for six of us - Chip's parents had arrived for a week in Portugal with us!

National Palace of Pena

As we left that morning, the tiniest droplets of rain accompanied us. It felt as if we were living inside of a dense cumulous cloud. My Midwestern self secretly loved the humidity and so did my poofy hair. The last fifteen minutes of our Bolt ride, we climbed a steep, narrow, and slick cobblestone road up, up, up to our first palace crowning the hills of Sintra. The Pena Palace, a Romanticist castle emerging from the forest as multicolored and delightful as my childhood Barbie castle.

Once at the metal gates, we opted to walk the remaining way (but you can also hop on a trolley). The misty rain thankfully wasn’t slowing us down and added to the splendor when we finally reached the palace. What a stunning sight, especially in the misty clouds. It was as pretty as the Pena Palace Puzzle Bennett completed at home in Colorado before leaving!

I joined the boys as we animatedly ran about, climbing up to gaze over the numerous turrets. After a few minutes, we waited in line to take a 45-minite long walking tour of the palace’s interior. If it were sunny, I likely would not have taken part and instead walked to one of the many viewpoints. But we all decided we could use a bit of respite from the rain.

Once inside, we snaked around single file with lots of other onlookers, walking through ornate dining rooms, sitting rooms, smoking rooms, and tea rooms. Then there were something like fourteen bedrooms (I lost count) and a large entertainment room. The most fun was probably attempting to sneak past (and then poke fun at) each tour group that had to stop and describe/learn about each room. “Here you are entering the tea room. Where the rich drank tea.” We would gasp and oh, and ah. “They drank tea? No way. Wow,” we'd say in amazement. We were being silly, and of course everything was neat, but we would have preferred to breeze through a bit quicker.

Let’s Stop for Lunch (and Wine!)

After exiting the castle (and the crowds), the drizzle was beginning to lighten. Yay. No more Snoop Dogg jokes!

We took another ride but this time to a lunch spot called Tasca. I’d describe this establishment as a local, hidden gem on the outskirts of the city center. An unassuming little place yet so welcoming, cozy, with six or so sets of well-worn tables and chairs. We try our best to seek out the restaurant experiences where the waiter (typically an owner or family member of the owner) joyfully greets, seats, and offers impeccable service just by being him or herself. No “I’m so-and-so and I'll be taking care of you's" here with all the rehearsed BS. We’re talking personable service, with age-old stories and true recommendations of dishes they’ve prepared for centuries. That was this kind of place. We ordered Portuguese sausage that was brought out in a clay dish and cooked over open fire at the head of our table. The waiter would appear every couple of minutes and rotate the sausage along with a witty joke. Dishes that he recommended like this arrived in perfectly timed intervals and we passed them around tapas style. The house wine was flowing. Another meal worth remembering.

A stroll through Historic Sintra City Center

Quinta da Regaleira

When I say we saved the best for last, I mean it. We could have picked from a handful of other palaces and castles in Sintra but to us, Quinta da Regaleira was like icing on this fairytale cake. And the cherry on top? The sun!

I’ll do my best to try to explain this place, but in a nutshell it feels like your stepping into a childlike fantasy. For starters, you catch a glimpse of the extraordinary castle characterized by Gothic pinnacles, gargoyles, capitals, and an impressive octagonal tower.

Next, what's even better, you spin around from the romantic-looking castle and a dreamworld of a garden park spans out in front of your eyes. An adult and kid outdoor-paradise reminiscent to all childhood fantasies. Filled with secret passageways into the forest, grottos, underground caves, a well spiraling down into the earth, lush gardens with multicolored plants, waterfalls spilling over rocks, elaborate fountains, and ancient stone buildings to clamber up. Is this place even real life? We were running about, craning our necks around the grounds like children who just walked through the gates of Disneyland. It was simply beautiful. We spent hours discovering the lengths of the grounds and we could have spent hours more. Everything we saw felt like we were discovering it for the first time. To the person who designed Regaleira, we applaud you. It was the happiest day!

Still on a high

Days later I’m still pondering the wonderment of Quinta da Regaleira. And also of Sintra. It’s a place I'll hold close, because who knows if I’ll ever see it again.

But for now we continue on in Portugal!

Thanks for visiting and traveling along with us!

Love, Lindsay, Chip, Reid, & Bennett