Sintra / Quinta da Regaleira.

Day two in Portugal and Vivian and Marco took me to Sintra, one of their favorite places in Portugal. Adorably enough it is his favorite place to take people and Vivian has heard his story of it a million times over, but I think she secretly likes it. I must admit he won me with his first sentence that it looked like something that belonged in "Lord of the Rings". And it did. 

A little town with windy roads covered in moss and surrounded by trees, cobblestones and antique shops to your lefts and rights, Sintra is surrounded by several different palaces built throughout the history of Portugal. We decided to visit the Quinta da Regaleira built originally in 1892 though more known for its renovations made by Carvalho Monteiro who expanded the land it was on to about 5 acres and wanted to turn it into an enchanted place. Nooks and crannies are adorned with an endless amount of manmade benches covered in moss and surrounded by sculptures of anything from sleeping lions, to greyhounds standing proud. Each little turn unveils a tiny pond and every plateau overlooks the most beautifully lush garden I have seen.

The best part? The hidden caves! Winding stoney steps leading down into a dark abyss of caves that split off here and come together there. We climbed down into the Initiatic Well which was believed to be a Masonry site and made our way underneath through secret caves and dark pathways. If I have ever seen a real life version of the Goonies, this was it. 

We made it through a fraction of the land and are making it a point to come back at a later date with Vivian and Marco's daughter, Emina who we think will absolutely adore it!