Pena Palace and Park are visited by millions of visitors every year, yet most of them only see a glimpse of the extraordinary experience that is there to be discovered. Most people only see the end of what was designed as a journey, with multiple layers of possibility for contemplation, exploration and wonder. By doing so, they can easily miss the point.

Pena was created in the mid-19th century under the direction of King Ferdinand II, who created a true work of Romanticism. In a place where the raw forces of nature surround you, with a ruin embedded in legend crowning a mountaintop, he created a botanical park with species from all over the world.

But, as a true spirit of the Romantic period, he created more than that. He created the perfect scenario for a knight on a quest. Like an opera, or a medieval novel, the knight can't arrive straight at the end scene. There are many chapters, many adventures to be had before getting there. The point of Pena is that quest. The journey in Pena is the destination!

So I invite you to come with me and not miss this opportunity.

Pena is probably the reason I ended up studying art history, and I also had the chance to work there as a heritage educator for almost 10 years. I know it well, so trust me when I say that the interiors are lovely, but they are not the main event. My Pena tour will show you the exterior of the palace, the chapel and the amazing views from the top — or the misty views, depending on the season and weather — but it will also take you on a journey through the Park, showing you places such as the Queen’s Throne, the Tree Fern Valley, the lakes, the Camellia Garden and many more. While so many visitors will be waiting in line to see the interiors, you will be away from the crowds, having an experience you will not easily forget.*

From Pena Park, we will continue on foot to the village of Sintra through one of the hiking trails. You can choose the one that passes by the Moorish Castle or the one that goes through Villa Sassetti. Don't let the idea of a hiking trail scare you: we will be mainly walking downhill and enjoying the lovely nature around us. After all, it is precisely this combination of nature, architecture and gardens that earned Sintra its UNESCO World Heritage status as a Cultural Landscape.**

We will then have time to explore the historic centre of Sintra and stop for lunch or snacks, including the chance to indulge in some traditional pastries, such as queijadas and/or travesseiros.

The rest of the tour can be customized to your interests, with the possibility of visiting other remarkable sites in Sintra before we return to Lisbon.

We will use Uber to travel from Lisbon to Sintra and back, with pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation.

*If exploring the Park sounds like something you would enjoy but you are concerned about the amount of walking involved, there is a hop-on hop-off service within Pena Park that we can use for an additional cost.

**Alternatively we can take an Uber or similar instead to Sintra’s historical center.