Pena Palace is one of the most iconic castles in Portugal and is a must-see when visiting Sintra. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered one of the top attractions in the entire country!
It’s a popular attraction and can get quite crowded, so it’s best to buy your tickets online. That way, you can skip the line and jump right on board.
Skip-the-Line Admission
If you’re planning to visit Sintra and Pena Palace, then you should definitely purchase your ticket in advance. This will help you avoid the queues and also save you money.
Pena Palace is one of the best-known historical monuments in Portugal and is considered as a cultural icon. It combines a mash-up of architectural styles from Romantic, Islamic, Medieval, Gothic, and Renaissance.
It’s a must-see for every traveler visiting Sintra! It’s a perfect combination of beauty, history, and fun!
The UNESCO World Heritage site of Pena Palace is one of the top attractions in Sintra. You can easily spend a full day here exploring all the sights of the park and palace.
To get to Pena Palace you can rent a car or take the bus. Alternatively, you can opt for a guided tour, which is recommended if you don’t have much time. There are also shuttle services available, which can be pre-arranged. Buying your tickets online will help you avoid the long lines and save you money.
Gardens
Pena Palace's 200-hectare park is a truly magical setting that complements the palace in every way. It boasts secluded footpaths through a dense forest, magnificent viewpoints from the top of craggy outcrops, flourishing fern gardens, cooling streams and even a mock-alpine chalet.
You can easily spend a full day visiting the entire park, and I recommend that you do! There are so many things to see and do at the palace and park that it's definitely worth the effort.
When planning your visit to the Palace, it's a good idea to book your ticket online to avoid the queues. You'll also need a map to navigate the maze of paths.
Terraces
The Terraces at Pena Palace are a true paradise for those who love history, photography, and architecture. The palace combines different styles in its architecture, such as Neo-Gothic, Neo-Islamic, and Neo-Renaissance.
You can take pictures here without any restrictions, so just be sure to click as many as you can! The gardens are a labyrinth of wooded paths, filled with exotic plants and flora from all over the world.
One of the main highlights of visiting Pena Palace is the beautiful gardens. They are the perfect place to get lost in and find secret paths, pavilions, and lakes and ponds!
History
Situated on a mountain top overlooking the quaint town of Sintra, Pena Palace is one of Portugal's most romantic attractions. This whimsical multi-coloured creation sits high above the misty peaks of the surrounding forest and is protected by UNESCO as part of the World Heritage Site of Sintra's Cultural Landscape.
It's easy to see why this enchanting castle inspires artists, photographers and travellers from around the world. A combination of architectural styles ranging from medieval to Renaissance, Neo-Gothic, Neo-Islamic and Gothic, it’s a magical place that transports visitors to other worlds.
The park, which surrounds the palace, is a truly magnificent trove of trees and flora from across the globe. Ferdinand II ordered trees from diverse regions to be planted there, including a selection of exotic North American sequoias, Lawson’s cypress, magnolia and Western redcedar, Chinese ginkgo, Japanese Cryptomeria, and a wide variety of ferns.
Those who have a little time to explore the entire 200 hectare (610 acres) of Pena Park will be rewarded with stunning landscapes and landmarks like the Valley of Lakes, the Warrior Statue, and the Queen’s Fern Garden (Feteira da Rainha). You should also check out the Casa do Regalo, a pretty wooden Chalet that served as a summer home for the Countess of Edla, the second wife of Ferdinand II.
