Park and Palace of Monserrate

Visit when the restoration is complete

A 19th-century villa located near Sintra. It’s under construction/restoration so we couldn’t see all of the exterior. It is a good hike up and down from the main entrance through the garden, to get to the villa.

via Viator

Under exterior renovations but still worth an hour visit.

A fabulous romanticism house, not really a palace. Currently undergoing exterior renovation so couldn’t see exterior but the interior was still stunning!!!

via Tripadvisor

Nice, but Not Too Impressive

The palace is far from the other tourist attractions in Sintra, so getting there can be somewhat challenging. We waited a long time for Bus 435 and eventually ended up taking an Uber. The palace is currently undergoing renovations and is covered with scaffolding. As a result, you cannot really see the exterior of the building except from one side. The interior is just okay—we were able to see all the rooms in about 15 minutes—although the octagonal atrium is tall and impressive. The gardens are pleasant, but not particularly remarkable.

via Tripadvisor

A Unique Arabesque Paradise

We really enjoyed our visit to Monserrate. We had a hard time finding the road in as Google Maps took us to a locked service entrance. We finally found it and were pleasantly surprised their small parking lot had spaces available. We took our time strolling down through the lush gardens. There are at least 2 ways to go, 1 is a trail, the other is a paved road. Be aware it's quite a ways, maybe 1/2 mile distance. Many large trees provide good canopy from the sun. The purple Rhododendrons were some of the biggest I've seen, lucky they were in bloom. The house is amazing, very fairy tale like. The exterior is having work so there's scaffolding up. They've done a good job with story boards explaining about the the Cook family who were the original occupants. Unfortunately, they have none of the original furnishings although they are trying to locate and buy back some of the pieces. We happened upon a Sunday afternoon Fado concert in the turret room - what a wonderful experience to hear great artists perform in that space. Staff were pleasant and not too intrusive. I felt it was well worth the admission and the extra we paid to stay and listen to the Fado. There is cafe and small gift shop - both close a bit before the park does. I think this attraction is good for the entire family but those with mobility issues may have difficulty walking the steep paths down and back up, especially if they take the trail by the waterfalls.

Response from the operator: Thank you for your wonderful and detailed review! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Monserrate and appreciated both the beautiful gardens and the unique architecture of the palace. It is especially lovely to hear that you were able to experience the blooming rhododendrons and the Fado concert, which certainly make for a memorable visit. We appreciate your comments regarding the navigation difficulties and parking access. Feedback like yours is very valuable, as it helps future visitors better prepare for their visit. We also thank you for highlighting the walking distances and terrain, which can be helpful information for guests with mobility concerns. It is great to know that you found the staff welcoming and that the overall experience was worth the visit. We hope to welcome you back to Sintra in the future to discover even more of its remarkable palaces, gardens, and cultural experiences. Thank you again for sharing your experience with fellow travelers.

via Tripadvisor

Beautiful but under restoration

The Park and Palace of Monserrate is beautiful and the gardens are incredible. However, it is undergoing restoration so the spectacular view of the Palace on the outside is not visible. The video of the elderly man who had lived there as a child, was very good and explained a lot. Also, it is quite a way from town so it may not be a good place to visit if you’re limited on time.

via Viator