The Valley of the Lakes in Pena Park
The romantic Pena Park shows a natural environment of rare beauty, made even more remarkable through a harmonious human intervention starting in 1839, which was meant to be an extension of Pena Palace. King Ferdinand II wanted to create the perfect fantasy forest, and for that he brought exotic plant and tree species from around the world.
Pena Palace can be seen from different angles in Pena Park
A bronze "gigantic warrior" statue stands on a rock looking out to Pena Palace, representing the king as guardian of the royal residence, which can also be seen from Alto de Santa Catarina (“Saint Catherine's Heights”). That was a favorite spot of Queen Amelia, and she spent hours sitting on a “throne” carved into the rock (it’s from this stone bench that many tourists today snap their best photos of the colorful palace).
View of Pena Palace from the Cruz Alta viewpoint
In the park you’ll also find the Condessa d’Edla Chalet, an Alpine-inspired building that belonged to King Fernando II’s second wife.
The highest peak of the park is "Cruz Alta" ("High Cross"), marked by a cross carved from stone, and serving as a viewpoint overlooking the park and the palace all the way to the Atlantic coast on the horizon.
To the south is the Valley of the Lakes, with five small lakes, one of them featuring a charming castle-tower-shaped duck house.
Among the exotic vegetation you’ll see what is considered the richest and most extraordinary collection of tree species in Europe, as some of them no longer exist in their countries and continents of origin. In total there are over 500 different species of trees.
Visiting Pena Park
Pena Park should be visited after a tour of Pena Palace. The shaded footpaths lead to the different attractions, which are well signed. Depending on how much walking you’re willing to do around it and how many attractions you see, a visit to the park can take anywhere between one hour and 90 minutes.
How to Get to Pena Park
Pena Park is not within reasonable walking distance of the center of Sintra. You may access it from Pena Palace, which is reached by bus 434.
Admission and Tickets to Pena Park
Admission to Pena Park is included in Pena Palace’s ticket, but if you prefer to skip the palace and just want to visit the park, there’s a park-only ticket of €7.50 for adults and €6.50 for children (up to the age of 17) and seniors (those over 65). There's a 10% discount with the Lisboa Card.
Save time by getting your ticket online: Pena Park Entry Ticket
It opens every day -- in the spring and summer at 9:30am and closes at 8pm; in the autumn and winter seasons, it opens from 10am to 6pm. The last ticket is sold one hour before closing time.
Attractions Nearby
From the top of Pena Park you may visit Pena Palace and walk to the Moorish Castle (less than 10 minutes away).