Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal, is probably most known for its stunning Initiation Well. But, wait, there’s two of them. Admittedly the second, smaller one, is overgrown, and not as pretty as the one we’re used to being exposed to. Maybe that’s how it got its name, Unfinished Well. Maybe it’s just that, unfinished. In any case, it is closed to the public. And that’s another surprise, you can walk down inside the Initiation Well. Like a spiral staircase. I had no idea it was possible. Really cool! What’s even cooler are the tunnels you exit into, once at the bottom. All lit up, setting a certain mood. Romantic, creepy, mysterious, you choose. I got the enigmatic feel – tying in with the ceremonial purposes of the wells, and the allegedly Knights Templar, Masonry, and the likes, symbols spread across the estate. The underground walkways form an extensive system. You can enter through a tower, and exit via a grotto. It feels like it’s all connected. Above ground, the 4 hectare property is mainly filled by a park with narrow and wide footpaths, sometimes through pretty dense forest, taking you past towers, ponds, grottos, and fountains – a vast collection of constructions. There’s also a small chapel, and the palace, which I didn’t enter. It all gives off a vibe of romanticism architecture. The quinta is quite big, and I found it a bit “disorganised” 😀 Get a map, even though the map can be hard to interpret too. Happy exploring!
This place you can walk to from the town center. Takes 10-15 mins. When going back, I decided to wait for the bus, to go see some of the other attractions around Sintra. But the bus never came, at least not according to how I interpreted the somewhat confusable timetable. My experience with the buses here is, if you’re gonna rely on them for getting about, you need to not be on a tight schedule…
Website: regaleira.pt
The Initiation Well
The magnificent tunnels
The less famous Initiation Well
Very cool!
I liked the tunnels even better than the wells 🙂