BargainSwag: Pena Palace - Sintra Portugal

In Sintra, located north west of Lisbon, you will find the awe-inspiring Pena Palace. The dazzling structure is perched high atop a mountain, as if it were being presented to the heavens above. The palace was once home to creative, artsy King Ferdinand II. His multi-colored, whimsical creation was influenced by Moorish styles and Romanticist architecture.

We spent the morning at this real-life fairy tale palace, and of course it was a great deal! Not expensive at all. Don't you love an excursion that doesn't break the bank? I DO! Whenever we travel to new places, I like to find new experiences that are fun, educational, unique and inexpensive to explore as a family. The Pena Palace hit all four categories! Also, children ages 5-years-old and under are FREE, a huge deal for those of us with families. Go here to learn more about this deal.

Prices for Pena Palace:

Park and palace adult 13,3 Euros
Park and palace youngster (6-17) 11,88 Euros
Park and palace seniors (+65) 11,88 Euros
Park and palace child (<5) FREE
Pena park adult 7,13 Euros
Pena park youngster (6-17) 6,18 Euros
Pend park senior (+65) 6,18 Euros
Pena park child (<5) FREE

Tour Inside the Palace:

The palace is filled with an eclectic array of furniture, art work and antiques. Oh, and the architecture inside the palace is equally intoxicating as outside. Your eyes will dart from floor to ceiling as you try to take it all in. The pieces throughout are exquisite! The way my bank accounts are set up I can't even afford to dream about having that kind of art work in my home-home, but that didn't stop me from dreaming.... I definitely had my eye on a few things.

The Views:

Sintra was once known as the favorite summer destination of the elite, and who could blame them? Do you see these views? The weather in Sintra is typically a little warmer than Lisbon, and on the day we visited it was particularly lovely and sunny outside. We grabbed a snack at the snack bar, relaxed outside and took in ALL the Views.

The Gardens:

The gardens are vast, go on for miles, and are included in the park admission option. There is a lot to see, including exotic trees and unique flowers. I felt like I was in a gnome village (I kept waiting for one to pop it's little head out)...it was magical! We followed the path (Vale Dos Lagos - Valley of the Lakes) down from the palace, through the gardens to the water and then exited at the parking lot (around 2 miles). Although it was beautiful and a worth-while experience for the entire group...I was beat afterwards.

Visiting Pena Palace was a top destination stop on my to-see list during our trip to Portugal this spring, and it made me feel like I was a princess for the day. The pictures really don't do it justice! Be prepared to do a lot of walking during your visit to the palace, and bring plenty of water to stay hydrated throughout the day.