Why Quinta da Regaleira is the Best Castle in Sintra for Kids

Quinta da Regaleira is a beautiful estate in Sintra, Portugal, located just an hour outside of Lisbon. The Sintra area is well-known for its ornate palaces and surrounding lands, and many tourists take a day trip from Lisbon to Sintra just to see the famous Pena Palace.

Quinta da Regaleira is a smaller palace but was my favorite tourist attraction in Sintra because it was full of unique and accessible buildings, gardens, fountains, and grottos, and is less crowded than the more popular Pena Palace. Plus the iconic Initiation Well is absolutely stunning!

Although we arrived at the palace when it opened and stayed until lunchtime, we could have easily spent our entire day in this regal palace, pretending to be characters in one of my favorite shows, Bridgerton.

If you’re heading to Sintra, I highly recommend you bring your family and young kids to Quinta da Regaleira. Here are some tips to make the most of your trip:

Trip Purpose

Spend a day in Sintra to visit Quinta da Regaleira during our family's first trip to Lisbon

DESTINATION: Sintra, Portugal

AGE OF OUR KID: 5 years; 2 years

LENGTH OF STAY: 4-8+ hours

TIME OF YEAR: December

Before you go

The trip to Sintra from Lisbon is about 30 minutes by car or one hour by train. Click here for train times and to purchase tickets.
There is a free shuttle that transports visitors from the Sintra train station to the city’s historic center, which is a 15-minute walk from Quinta da Regaleira. Altogether, budget about 90 minutes to get from Lisbon to Quinta da Regaleira by public transport.
Purchase your tickets online or at the entrance gate. Note that children ages five and under are free, but still need to reserve tickets for entry.
The palace does not offer parking. Check this website to find other paid parking options nearby.

What we packed

Standard diaper bag essentials
Comfortable shoes, clothes, sunscreen, and hats
Baby carrier
Camera
Princess dresses

BASE COST

Tickets: 11€ for adults, 6€ for children ages 6-17 and seniors, and free for children 5 and under (tickets still required)

Add-ons

1€ to purchase a printed map
4€ to rent an audio guide
Food from the cafe
Taxi ride

Top 5 Things to do at Quinta da Regaleira with Your Family

1. Walk the palace grounds

~1 hour

Grab a self-guided tour map for 1€ at the entrance to find your way through the many acres of the property.

Take your time so you can let your kids stop and marvel at every fountain, grotto, and flower.

Pretend you are in a ballet production or calling to your Juliet in the many towers and turrets. Enjoy the nature and history preserved here.

2. Climb down the Initiation Well

~30 minutes

The Initiation Well looks like an underground tower with a spiral staircase lining its inner wall. Historians believe the nine staircases symbolize the initiation ceremony for the Knights Templar, which had nine founders.

When we arrived, there was a line of tourists waiting patiently to take the 27-meter spiral staircase down to the bottom of the well.

Bring a camera and take your time making your way down the staircase. Our preschooler could climb down the stairs on her own, but our toddler needed to be carried the whole way because the stairs were steep, the line of tourists was moving faster than her little legs could carry her, and because the darkness increased as we descended.

3. Find the grotto

~20 min

The Initiation Well takes you to underground caves and tunnels that lead you to a majestic grotto, complete with waterfalls and ferns.

The caves are surprisingly well lit, and the grottos offer a glimpse of natural light from the ground above.

The kiddos were in awe of the fern grotto, and my preschooler loved dancing through the tunnels.

4. Grab a bite to eat at the cafe

~20 min

The palace café is located on a beautiful terrace with a great view of the palace.

Stop to grab a coffee and small bites like pastries and soup.

Our kiddos needed a break from walking the palace grounds and a pastry to get them through to lunch, and I enjoyed some warm tea with a view.

4. Visit the Palace

~20 min

Only the first floor of the Regaleria Palace is accessible to visitors.

Follow the arrows through each ornate room as you meander your way through the palace.

Emerge onto a beautiful veranda with a view of the palace grounds, which happens to be close to the exit of the park.

Walking through the palace with a toddler was a bit of a challenge. Staff keep visitors on the carpets as you make your way through each room, asking you not to touch anything. Of course, my kiddo wanted to touch everything.

I would suggest keeping little ones close by during the palace walk, either in a carrier or in your arms. Holding my two-year-old while we observed the ornate rooms made everyone happier – mama, dada, sister, the palace staff, and the other tourists waiting patiently for us to keep moving along the route.

5. Keep an eye out for feral cats

~20 min

My kids love animals, especially cats. We found and followed many kitties throughout the palace grounds, and even turned it into a game of who could find the most cats.

I didn’t notice when my toddler got a little too close to a cat along the palace fence. The cat promptly bit my two-year-old, who looked at me in horror. Luckily it was a small bite, but we rushed her to the bathroom to clean the bleeding wound and put a Band-Aid on.

So, pro-tip: look for feral cats, but do not try to pet them.

Quinta da Regaleira was my favorite palace in Sintra because of its beauty and serenity, and also because it was one of our first relaxing days on our two-week Portugal trip.

We rushed through Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle the day before we visited Quinta da Regaleira, and realized we were much more of a “one-castle-per-day” family.

For our trip to Quinta da Regaleira, we planned an early walk from our Airbnb in Sintra town to the palace. Our girls both wore princess costumes and were greeted with “oohs” and “awes” by everyone we met, including the Sintra staff who welcomed the little royals. Our kids were so cute, the castle grounds were magical, and we were not rushing off to try to squeeze in one more activity in our day.

I enjoyed the Quinta da Regaleria and recommend you take your time and enjoy it too, at a toddler’s pace.

This post is part of a series of posts about visiting Portugal with kids. Continue the adventure with us here:

How to visit Pena Palace with kids

Our favorite activities in Sintra with Kids

Check us out on Pinterest!

Angel

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Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.