Is Quinta da Regaleira (still) worth the visit? Or is it just another tourist trap?

If you ever heard of Sintra you certainly have heard of Quinta da Regaleira too.

As someone who was born in Sintra and is passionate about this enchanted village to this day, I have seen it evolving with time.

A few years ago, Quinta da Regaleira was my all time favorite park and palace to visit in Sintra but then covid came and I spent 4 years without putting a feet in it until recently.

I must confess, my heart ached when faced with the reality of what Quinta da Regaleira has become in the last years.

But first things first.

A bit of History

As a set designer myself, Quinta da Regaleira has always spoke closely to my heart as it was designed by an Italian set designer called Luigi Manini. Once you have this information, Quinta da Regaleira starts to make sense, after all, wherever you look at everything looks and feels out of a fairy tale book.

Architectural details are incredible with all the gargoyles and each individual and one of a kind pinnacle, the arched windows and the Gothic and Manuelino styles mixing with one another.

The park itself is a true magical and secret garden with all the different types of greenery, hidden caves, small castle towers, fountains and let’s not forget the iconic Initiation Well.

Although this is all true and amazing, I now consider Quinta da Regaleira to be nothing more than a tourist trap. But let me explain why.

The before

There was a time where you could easily spend an entire day at Quinta da Regaleira without getting bored.

You had access to all Quinta including the top floor of the Palace where you could see the gargoyles from very close and in high detail. The kitchen was also available for the public to see, even though you couldn’t enter. By entering the Palace you had space to go around and get lost in every little detail, at your own pace. It used to be easy to loose notion of time.

As for the gardens, well, you could be there all day and not passing in the same spot twice. Caves were open and you could roam around freely and, again, at your own pace. In every corner you would find something different and unique, new paths to get lost into nature. Even with a lot of people you could still enjoy your time there as if you were alone as there were so many spots to explore it was easy to get away from the crowds.

The Initiation well used to be my favorite part. Its darkness used to bring a sense of a cozy loneliness. Even though there were people around, stillness was still there. You could spend how much time you wanted there, absorbing into every single detail of it. You could go up and down and even step into the center of its base to look above and see the light at the end of the tunnel. It used to be peaceful.

I used to bring food and spend an entire day there, feeling relaxed and in tune with nature. Inspired.

But now…

Now Quinta da Regaleira is nothing but a tourist trap.

You pay 11€ per adult to have very limited access to everything.

Now you can only visit 1 floor of the palace and you have a very limited space to do so, obligating you to circulate in line which doesn’t allow you to actually spend as much time as you want there because there are other people constantly behind you trying to proceed with their visit as well. This means you won’t be able to see the kitchen nor the gargoyles as those floors are closed. I inquired staff regarding it’s opening and the information they gave was that it is not in the plan to open those areas again.

The caves are also half closed. Now you can only go in one way which obligates you to enter solely from the Initiation Well.

The Initiation Well now can only be seen while coming down the stairs. At the base you can not step into the center of it to actually see it fully as you used to so you can only see the Initiation Well while walking down it’s stairs which doesn’t allow you to actually see it properly and you’ll have staff telling you you must keep going so you are not even allowed to stay there as long as you want anymore, obligating you to see it very quickly. And if you want to stop for 2 seconds to take pictures to keep as memories beware that the photography police officer (aka staff) will come to you screaming and telling you to keep moving! - Yes, very rudely.

Better places to invest your time (and money) in instead

I never thought I would say this but now I advise everyone to avoid what once was the best monument and park to visit in Sintra. I do not believe Quinta da Regaleira is worth the investment anymore, especially if you don’t have much time - or money, for that matter - to waste.

For the same price, or even cheaper, you can visit Monserrate Palace, Pena Palace, Convent of the Capuchos or even Chalet of the Countess of Edla. All these parks and monuments are worth your time and energy, way more than Quinta da Regaleira currently does, sadly.