Last week we talked about our most recent visit to Lisbon and today it’s about an inevitable side trip. When we’re researching a possible destination, I always start my Internet search with something like, “Top 10 (insert name of city to visit)” that typically gives us a great list of must-see monuments, museums, and sites to explore in that city. Very often, however, the recommendations will extend beyond the city limits to include tourist spots you can see on a day trip. For the Portuguese capital, everyone included the monastery and tower in Belém, yellow Tram 28, districts like Alfama and Barrio Alto, Ribeira market, and tiled walls. But where is this hilltop fairy tale castle with bright yellow and red towers and crenellations that also appears on so many of the Top 10s and can we walk there? Yes, in about 6 hours, but we thought that taking a tour to Sintra would be a better idea.

There are frequent train departures from Lisbon that take an hour to reach Sintra. Once you’re there it’s still another hour uphill on foot or half that time in a taxi or tuk tuk to reach that colorful castle, Pena Palace. Since we also wanted to see the fanciful mansion, Quinta da Regaleira, we opted for a guide who would pick us up from our vacation rental apartment, drive us to the various sites, and accompany us with commentary throughout the day.

Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it blends the natural beauty of its mountain setting with diverse architectural styles—Morrish, Gothic, and Romantic—that represent the history of Portugal. It was the cooler climate that attracted generations of royalty to this retreat from Lisbon which explains why so many castles and elaborate manor homes were built here. We had the day to see two of them.

Our tour included skip-the-line tickets so we went directly inside Pena Palace, that colorful castle that appeared on all of those lists of things to do while visiting Lisbon. The guide explained that the building construction was finished in 1854 by King Ferdinand II of Portugal whose vision was to transform Sintra into a romantic retreat with the palace as a royal summer residence. It was designed to incorporate a variety of styles and colors as a reminder of the various periods in the country’s history. It’s said that the King was so passionate about the palace’s appearance, he painted some of the interior walls and ceilings himself.

Not only did the King work inside the palace, he helped with the design and construction of the gardens surrounding it. There are exotic plants, winding paths, and scenic views that stretch to the Atlantic Ocean. Other themed gardens, spread across 200 hectares (494 acres) of forest and open areas, are Moorish, Chinese, and Romantic.

The Italian set designer, Luigi Manini, was the architect for our second stop of the day and you could clearly see his theatrical influence. Quinta da Regaleira, finished in 1910, is a huge mansion often described as “mysterious, enchanting, and magical” with a fair share of symbolism. The exterior of the house with its multiple spires reminded me of a place where the Munsters or Adams Family would feel right at home.

It got even creepier when we went out into the home’s park to see the Initiation Well, a 27 meter (88 feet) inverted tower with spiral stairs. Down and around we went, descending nine levels representing the circles of hell in Dante’s Divine Comedy. I was happy to reach the bottom and the exit tunnel that brought us back out into the daylight. Fascinating.

Today’s blog post started by saying that Sintra was “an inevitable side trip” because the photos kept popping up whenever we looked for things to do in Lisbon. Now that we’ve been there I can see why it’s such a popular destination on its own.

Photo notes: That’s Pena Palace across the top of today’s blog post and the castle’s entrance gate in the first paragraph.