The Magical Town of Sintra, Portugal

Walking through the quaint town of Sintra feels like you stepped back in time and into the setting of a fairytale— I couldn't shake the image of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves from my mind. The colorful buildings stacking up the hills along the narrow cobblestone alleyways with multiple castles scattered in and around town (including one visibly towering over the streets), set the stage for a dreamy afternoon in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of beautiful Sintra, Portugal.We only had a handful of hours to spend in Sintra, but I recommend you set aside a whole day if you have the chance! Our local Portuguese friend, Nuno, recommended we spend our short amount of time at Quinta da Regaleira— a 20th century historical estate influenced by the romantic era, with its surrounding land sprawling with secret trails, underground caves, spiral staircases, hidden doors and beautiful landscaping.One especially unique feature of the Quinta da Regaleira estate are the two "initiation wells" (below). These deep underground spiral staircases are now covered in greenery and moss, and vaguely resemble a traditional well (although they were never used as a water source).More from Portugal coming soon!