itinerary

The Quinta da Regaleira is one of the most surprising of all Sintra’s monuments. Located on the outskirts of the town, it was built 1904 e 1910, in the last days of the Portuguese monarchy.
This romantic property formerly belonging to the Viscondessa da Regaleira, was acquired and enlarged by António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro (1848-1920) as his favourite country estate. His vast fortune earned him the nickname of Monteiro dos Milhões, (Moneybags Monteiro). He commissioned this unique project of house and landscape from the Italian set-designer and architect Luigi Manini (1848-1936) whose genius, along with the mastery of sculptors, stonemasons, craftsmen who had formerly Palace Hotel do Buçaco, created this magical place.

Located in the Sintra hills, the Park and Palace of Pena are the exponent of a Sintra tour. It is one of Portugal’s most visited monuments.
The palace’s history started in the Middle Ages when a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena was built on the top of the hill above Sintra. According to tradition, construction occurred after an apparition of the Virgin Mary. In 1493, King John II, accompanied by his wife Queen Leonor, made a pilgrimage to the site to fulfil a vow. His successor, King Manuel I, was also very fond of this sanctuary, and ordered the construction of a monastery on this site which was donated to the Order of Saint Jerome. For centuries Pena was a small, quiet place for meditation.
In the 18th century the monastery was severely damaged by lightning. However, it was the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755, occurring shortly afterwards, that took the heaviest toll on the monastery, reducing it to ruins. Nonetheless, the escaped without significant damage.
In 1839, King Ferdinand, a creative genius, set out to transform the remains of the monastery into a monument of the greatest expression of Portuguese romanticism. The palace was built to serve as summer residence for the Portuguese royal family
The palace was built in such a way as to be visible from any point in the park, which consists of a forest and luxuriant gardens with over five hundred different species of trees originating from the four corners of the earth.

The castle was constructed during the 8th and 9th centuries, during the period of Muslim Iberia occupation, as the central place in a territory that was primarily agricultural, and which was necessary to protect its population.. After the conquest of Lisbon (1147) by forces loyal to Afonso Henriques, Portugal´s first king, the castle surrendered voluntarily to Christian forces.
During the second half of the 12th century, the chapel constructed within the walls of the castle became the parish seat.[2] This was followed by the remodelling and construction under the initiative of King Sancho I of Portugal.
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake caused considerable damage to castle, mainly on the chapel. In 1840 Ferdinand II of Portugal took up the task of conserving and improving the condition of the castle, he consolidated the walls, reforested the spaces, created nooks and manicured spaces and conserved the chapel.

This is the westernmost point of continental Europe. Europe ends here, abruptly, among ragged cliffs beaten by the sea. The terrain dramatically steepens as it approaches the Atlantic coast. The cliffs are more than 100 meters high. One feels the profound earthly energy that has formed this place. A lighthouse stands proud, warning all ships to stay clear from this dangerous place. Also, it is truly astonishing.