Pena Park and the Chalet of the Countess of Edla

Pena Park is the forest of over 200 hectares that surrounds the palace, laid out with lakes, viewpoints and garden buildings. Its main sights are the Temple of Columns, the High Cross (Cruz Alta), the Valley of the Lakes, the Queen’s Fern Valley, the Camellia Garden, Pena Farm and the Chalet and Garden of the Countess of Edla, and every palace ticket includes it (Parques de Sintra, 2026).

In short

• Park-only ticket: €12 adult, €10 youth or senior.
• Included in the Essential Visit (€20), with the palace.
• Park hours: 9:00–19:00; last admission 18:00.
• Two entrances: the Main Entrance and the Lakes Entrance.

What is there to see in Pena Park?

The official Pena page lists the park’s sights: the Temple of Columns, the High Cross (Cruz Alta), the Valley of the Lakes, the Queen’s Fern Valley, the Camellia Garden, Pena Farm and the Chalet and Garden of the Countess of Edla. Paths link them through tall trees, ferns and granite boulders, with signposts at the junctions.

What is the Chalet of the Countess of Edla?

A chalet in the park that King Ferdinand II and Elise Hensler, Countess of Edla, who became his second wife, built in the second half of the 19th century. With its garden it is part of the park, so the park-only ticket and the Essential Visit both include it.

Visitors who explore the park often say it is the part they enjoyed most: inside the palace you move with the crowd, while in the park you can slow down and find quieter corners.

Is the park-only ticket enough?

It depends on whether you want the palace rooms. At €12, the park ticket is the cheapest way into Pena, but it does not include the palace interior. The Essential Visit, at €20, adds the palace rooms. For most first visits, the difference is worth paying.

The water lilies and lakes

The Valley of the Lakes is a series of ponds along a wooded valley, with water plants in summer.

To combine the park with the rooms, see what to see in the palace and which ticket to buy.