Quinta da Regaleira

Regaleira is the more manageable of the two famous Sintra sights for a cruise passenger, because it sits at the edge of Sintra town rather than on top of the hill. It is still a long trip: 75 to 90 minutes each way from the Jardim do Tabaco terminal by metro to Restauradores, train from Rossio to Sintra (about 40 minutes) and then a 20 to 25-minute walk through the historic centre, or Scotturb bus 435. With two hours on site and a safety margin, it needs a call of about seven to eight hours at the very least. Entry is by timed slot every 30 minutes, and the ticket is valid only for the date and time printed on it, with up to one hour's tolerance for late arrival. Buy it on the official online ticket office before you sail; the estate has warned about tickets bought through unofficial sites. The garden, not the house, is the reason to come. Only the main floor of the palace is open. Head first for the Initiation Well, a spiral stairway of about 27 m that you walk down to a tunnel at the bottom, because a queue forms there by late morning. From the bottom, the tunnels lead out to the lake and grottoes. The paths are steep, uneven and often damp, so shoes with grip matter more than usual. If you have limited time, do the well, the tunnels, the lake, the chapel and a quick look at the palace, and skip the upper viewpoints. Crowds are heaviest between late morning and mid-afternoon. The estate's small aquarium feature is currently closed for restoration.