Pena Palace

I'm aware I have a slight reputation for thinking I'm always right, but days like today really shore that up and after a while you do sort of have to look at the stats and reach a conclusion.

The garden only ticket is the way to bloody go. There's f i v e h u n d r e d acres of cool stuff, tiny unsigned paths you can get lost on, buildings, lakes, animals, and rocks you can climb.

What's more you can go round the entire outside of the castle, and not have to a) select a time slot when you buy your ticket and then stress about being there on time and b) stand around in the probably 400m long queue to shuffle through an interior which by all accounts is less interesting than the exterior.

You can walk past them and have a squiz and leave. It was EXCELLENT. And it was cheaper. I am right.Read more