Parque de Monserrate

On the hillside below Sintra, the Parque de Monserrate is one of the great romantic gardens of Portugal. Lawns and lakes, tree ferns and palms surround the palatial house, in a landscape created in the nineteenth century to gather plants from every continent within a single valley.

History and character

An estate since the sixteenth century, Monserrate became famous in the nineteenth century under Sir Francis Cook, who rebuilt the palace and commissioned the garden as an arboretum of rare species. The result is a masterpiece of picturesque landscape design, part of the cultural landscape of Sintra listed by UNESCO as World Heritage.

What to see

• The palace, a fantasy of domes and arches, seen across the lawn and the lake.
• The collections of tree ferns, palms, agaves and bamboos from around the world.
• The Mexican garden and the fern valley.
• The lawns, cascades and paths that lead through the valley.

Best time to visit

The garden changes with the seasons — camellias in winter and early spring, lush greenery in summer, autumn colours later in the year. Mild mornings are ideal for the walk from the park’s entrance to the palace.

Nearby

Monserrate is one of the great estates of the Sintra hills, close to the Palácio da Pena , Quinta da Regaleira.

Visiting

The park is in Sintra, west of Lisbon, reached by road or by train to Sintra station and then by local transport or taxi. Tickets and opening hours are managed by Parques de Sintra; check the official page before your visit.

Information: parquesdesintra.pt.

Image credit: Gardens outside the Palace of Monserrate, Sintra, by travelmag.com, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.