Pena Palace

Pena Palace crowns one of the highest hills of the Sintra range, its towers painted red and yellow and decorated with tiles and Moorish-style domes. It was created in the 19th century for King Ferdinand II, who turned the ruins of a monastery into a romantic fantasy.

Tour the royal rooms, kept as they were in the early 20th century, walk the terraces for views to the Atlantic on a clear day, and explore the gardens and lakes of the park. Nearby are the Moorish Castle and the mysterious Quinta da Regaleira, with its spiral initiation well.

Sintra is about 40 minutes from Lisbon by train or road. The hill road is steep and narrow, so we arrange transport to the palace gate; mornings are quietest, and mist often clears by midday.