Quinta da Regaleira is a UNESCO-listed romantic estate in Sintra known for its Gothic-Renaissance palace, mystical gardens, and the famous Initiation Well, a spiral staircase that descends 27 meters underground.
Highlights include the Poco Iniciatico (Initiation Well) with its nine-landing spiral staircase, a network of grottoes and tunnels linking the gardens to the chapel crypt, and the ornately carved main palace with its Manueline-Gothic facade.
The estate is open daily from 10am to 6:30pm October through March and 10am to 7:30pm April through September, with last admission one hour before closing. A full visit takes about 2 hours, though the main highlights can be seen in about an hour; visiting late afternoon means shorter queues for the well.
