The Palace in Estoi

Before we came to Portugal, our Quebec friends, Diane and Claude, sent us some beautiful photos of a palace in the small village of Estoi in the Algarve that they had visited a few years ago. It looked like a mini pink, yellow and blue Versailles with beautiful gardens and we thought that if we had the time and the means to go to Estoi, we would do a day trip to this town to see what our friends had seen.

Well, wouldn’t you know it, we had the time and means, so we went!

Estoi is only a 1/2 hour drive from Faro. We left the city and drove through citrus orchards loaded with oranges, lemons, and mandarins, hothouses with tall tomato plants, and olive and flowering almond trees to get to Estoi. The whole area is a fertile agricultural area.

We thought that the palace would be out in the country, but no, it was right in the town, and down a small cobbled side street. And it was pink.

Beautiful things take time to build, and this is perhaps especially true for the Rococo palace. In 1840, a local Algarve aristocrat, of the Carvalhal family, started building the palace. However, by the time of the aristocrat’s death – several decades later – the palace was still nothing but a beautiful ruin, a half-made dream.

In 1893, the unfinished palace was bought by a wealthy landowner, Jose Francisco da Silva, from Beja. He spent a fortune finishing the estate, and in 1909 the palace was finally completed.

It’s opening was celebrated with a massive party that took place in May the very same year. The celebration was apparently so wild that people spoke about it for years after. Rumour is that he used the house as a place for his friends to come and stay. He would organize parties where these men could meet women away from the watchful eyes of their wives. The small summer houses and gazebos in the gardens would have made it easy for illicit rendezvous.

Unfortunately, only a few decades later, the privately owned palace closed its doors and the wealthy family moved away for good. The palace was once again a beautiful ruin.

It wasn’t until 2009 that Pousada Palacio de Estoi once again opened its doors – and this time as a small luxury hotel in Estoi. The interior salons are lovely with period furniture, panelled walls big chandeliers. Beautiful paintings and tile work decorate the walls and ceilings.

The 24 acre property outside is beautiful, with its orchards and formal gardens adorned with columns, statues and busts of famous people. There is even a grotto, a little grotesque, but definitely an interesting little space.

We understand why our friends loved it. We did too. Tres chique!Read more