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Pastel De Nata

We had an absolutely stunning day today! Although we spent about 3 hours driving from Lagos to Sintra on Portuguese tolled highways, our time in both those cities was incredible.

We had a fantastic breakfast spread in our hotel today, and we we spent about 45 minutes tasting Portuguese delicacies, including tomato and pumpkin jams, honey fresh from the comb, and many breads and baked goods.

Delicious breakfast

We were now fueled to take a walk on the beautiful boardwalk in Lagos. We walked along the Atlantic towards the Ponta da Piedade, a rocky outcrop where a small lighthouse stands. The water was a gorgeous blue, the sandstone cliffs a calm beige, and the weather was on our side gracing us with a nice cool breeze. 

Gorgeous cliffside

Made it to the end of the boardwalk!

This is definitely a place we’ll have to return to…I would love to do a kayak trip along the coastline and explore the beautiful rock formations from below.

Steps down to the water

Going down the stairs

Turquoise waters + happy Liam

After the brisk walk in Lagos, we hopped in the car and drove north to Sintra. Sintra is a small municipality just above Lisbon. Although most people day-trip here from Lisbon, there really is so much to see I really think you need at least two days.

There is a nice small town vibe and lots of beautiful luscious green trees and forests just outside the city. There are also many cool architectural sites to visit! The most famous is probably the Pena Palace, but more on that tomorrow after we visit it.

Tonight we spent our evening at the Quinta da Regaleira, a MUST see place in Sintra. Oh my goodness, this place is truly magical. Right out of a fairytale.

The house on the Quinta da Regaleira estate ground

Magical towers

Mythical bridges and pools

The Quinta da Regaleira was built in 1910 by a wealthy Portuguese businessman who had an intense fascination with the Knights of Templar and with the Freemasons, two secret orders which used to be active in Portugal. The estate is riddled with secret underground passageways (some of which are accessible to the public), various occult and religious symbols, and many towers and hidden rooms. 

Little tower balcony

Secret peephole in the roof…

…view from the secret peephole

Exploring hidden staircases

The most famous structure is the Initiation Well. Although its exact function remains unknown, this well is thought to have been used for initiation rituals by the Knights of Templar. It has nine circles of descending staircases and looks more like an inverted tower than a well. You exit the well through a short underground passage, which takes you to another, unfinished, well and takes you behind a waterfall. 

The Initiation Well

Descending down!

Behind the waterfall

Exiting through the tunnels

Now I’ve got little tip for anyone wanting to visit, especially anyone wanting to see the famous initiation well. Go on a weekday and wait until about 6:30 to 7pm before visiting the well. We found that it was packed with a huge line at about 5pm, but then once the site closes to new visitors at 5:30/6ish, the line disappears and you can get stunning pictures without any crowds. 

Outside views from inside a hidden cavern 

To wrap up one of my favourite days of our trip, we had a Pastel De Nata pastry with dinner. These flakey egg custard tarts are a staple of Portuguese cuisine. Their history is quite interesting, they actually originated in a monastery just outside of Lisbon. Monks and nuns used to use eggs whites to starch their clothes, which left them with a surplus of egg yolks… which they creatively used to create the delicious Pastel De Nata!

Pastel De Nata



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