Sintra - Parque da Pena

Ferdinand von Coburg-Koháry was responsible for the extensive Parque da Pena around the castle. (The park is closed at night; cars are admitted for a fee, but there is no charge for admission to the castle parking lot.) The estate, which covers about 200ha/494 acres, contains over 400 species of trees and shrubs, including tree ferns; it is especially beautiful in spring when the camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas are in bloom. Cars can be driven up to the Cruz Alta (540m/1,771ft), a stone cross (1522) on the highest point in the Serra de Sintra, where there is a good view of the Palácio da Pena and of the whole mountain range and plain as far away as Lisbon.