PORTUGAL
The most western point
in Europe and the
wonders of Sintra
intra is definitely one of the most famous towns in the Greater Lisbon region. You get to enjoy the view, walk around the alleys and wander around the stores but before that, there's the most western point in Europe.
Most people sight Pena Palace as their go-to attraction of Sintra but I was always attracted to the tower, the Initiation Well
Cabo da Roca
First off my bucket list, the most western point of continental Europe: Cabo da Roca. It’s an out of this world location, far away from everything, with a lighthouse 165m above the Atlantic Ocean that began operating in 1772. There’s also a monument announcing Cabo da Roca as the westernmost point and a café and a shop. What you can do is stand by the ocean (carefully though, the cliffs are high and steep) and enjoy a 360° of one of the most beautiful views. There’s nothing around, only nature, a lighthouse by a few houses and the monument, you’re in the most western point of Europe.
Sintra
Sintra is one of the most famous (and densely populated) municipalities of Portugal. Its picturesqueness has made this town a popular tourist destination with the historic center of the Vila de Sintra (famous for its 19th-century Romanticist architecture), gardens, royal palaces and castles, earning the classification of the Sintra as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town’s layout and buildings have changed very little over the centuries, with narrow cobblestone streets, pastel-colored houses, and quaint plazas maximizing its charm to this day.
While you’re there, please do yourself a favor and try a nata, a small pastry with custard cream. I took a few from Nata Pura (great coffee shop) but you can pretty much find them everywhere in Sintra and Lisbon. If you want the whole picture, see the gallery at the bottom of the page.
Pena Palace Gardens
The day got a bit foggy and dark when we got around to visit Pena Palace so I chose not to go inside. Instead, I spent my time in the gardens and, let me tell you, if this happens to you too please take the time to wander around. Or do it anyway. For €7 you can enjoy a location that could easily be our world’s version of Elysian Fields – a concept of after life, derived from Greek mythology. Greenery everywhere, tall trees and gardens and you walk on a cobblestone path. It doesn’t get more idyllic than that.
Quinta da Regaleira
Second one from my bucket list, the mysterious inverted tower in Quinta da Regaleira. Most people sight Pena Palace as their go-to attraction of Sintra but I was always attracted to the tower, the Initiation Well. The whole place is straight out of a fairytale, or maybe ”Game of Thrones”, I was in awe all around. The entrance fee is €11 with some discounts. Quinta da Regaleira, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, consists of a palace and chapel, a park with lakes, grottoes, wells, benches, fountains among other things.
The palace is also known as “The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire”, which is based on the nickname of its best known former owner, António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. The Initiation Well is lined with a 27m spiral staircase that lead down and even though it is known as a well, it never served as a water source. Instead, it is believed that it was used for various ceremonies, including Tarot initiation rites. A second theory says it represents the nine circles of Dante’s «Divine Comedy», (although it is only six stories deep).
Here are some tips, if you’re planning on visiting:
1.Visit as early as possible and pre-book your ticket and prepare for a que at the entrance of the Initiation Well. There’s an extraordinary number of people visiting but the que moves quite fast.
2. Ideally, get a guide or sign up for a group tour. I did and we had enough time to enjoy everything, had our tickets taken care of and learned a lot of info and details you probably couldn’t find online.
3. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes. Everything is uphill. Everything.
4. Bring an umbrella. I ended up waiting in the rain because weather looked good that morning.
Of course the dark skies and bad weather made it near impossible to enjoy Sintra and Sena Palace as much as I would like. Still, it’s a wondrous place, Pena Gardens and the whole Quinta da Regaleira area felt like I stepped in an alternative, mystical reality. While, at first I was disappointed I couldn’t visit Pena Palace itself, I’m happy I got to explore the gardens and, of course, now I have a reason to go back.