ROUND THE WORLD
57 MONSERRATE, SINTRA, PORTUGAL - 9 May 2025
Another glorious view of the Atlantic ocean; on this occasion from Praia da Adraga, due west of Sintra on the Iberian Peninsula, some thirty kilometres north west of Lisbon and where we walked parallel to the crashing surf followed by a delicious ‘fishy’ lunch beachside at Restaurante Adraga. Ozone and taste buds heaven!
From the beach the road inclines sharply up to the hills of the Serra de Sintra towards a chain of forested granite mountains overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Here, ever since the Middle Ages, Portuguese monarchs have come during the summer months in search of cooler weather, to escape periods of plague and in pursuit of abundant hunting. First they took up residence at what is now called The National Palace of Sintra. In the mid 19th century King Ferdinand II created a second residence here now called The Pena National Palace around which he planted thousands of trees amongst the existing forests of oaks and umbrella pines. Others members of the Portuguese nobility, following Ferdinand’s example, established residences and gardens of their own here in what is now called the Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais, now defined by UNESCO as a ‘World Heritage Cultural Landscape’.
Sir Francis Cook, then one of Britain’s richest men, was attracted to do the same and in 1855 bought an earlier building ruined in the 1755 earthquake and partially remodelled in the late 18th century by William Beckford who surrounded it with a landscaped garden park of his own making. Here, together with architect James Knowles and botanist Thomas Gargill, Sir Francis created the magnificent Palace and Park of Monserrate, still much the same as you see it today.
Now, the property of the state, Monserrate has been recast as a place for public enjoyment; we were delighted, courtesy of our hosts, to visit it.
© Text and Images (excluding historic b&w) Derek Frost 2025