If you find yourself in Faro, Portugal, you might want to take a trip to Estoi. It takes about 20 minutes by car to get there but there is also public transportation that can take you there. Or if you like you can also take an arranged excursion to Estoi.
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Estoi Palace – Pousada de Faro
The hotel is inside what once was the ancient palace of Estoi. The small town of Estoi is located in a region where they have found the remains of human occupation since the Neolithic Period. The palace belonged to Francisco José Carvalhal e Vasconcelos, a member of the royal court and this was his place of residency.
The palace of Estoi was built at the end of the 18th century and in 1893 the ownership changed. The new owner decided to restore the building and it was finished in April 1909. After his death, the palace remained in the families ownership until 1987 when the City Council of Faro bought it.
Today Estoi Palace is a hotel
If you want you can book a room and stay in the hotel. Mini and I only visited during the day so we didn’t check in. However, I spoke with a woman that was staying there and she said that the rooms were nice but that they were “regular” rooms and that there was nothing “palace” about them.
The special places in the palace are not only for the hotel guests but also for visitors. It is free of charge to enter the castle and to walk around, both inside and outside in the garden. And when you enter the building you know that you are inside a palace. It is incredible! A very special place where Mini had a hard time putting his camera down because everything was so beautiful.
Visiting the Estoi Palace
Today the palace is composed of the main building where you have tea halls and a fantastic Versailles style garden. The palace itself is made in a rococo style and it’s decorated with panels of tiles. The lower terrace has a pavilion with blue and white tiles. It is amazing and there is something special about this place.
We had a great time here and walked around for hours. They have 63 bedrooms here and if you want there is also a spa with a Turkish bath. We recommend that you visit this place because it is truly amazing!
Getting to Estoi from Faro
You can take the bus from Faros bus station. If you buy a return ticket from Faro to Estoi it costs 6.50 euro. Just make sure to buy the ticket at the ticket office because you can’t buy the ticket from the bus driver on the bus. Most other destinations will allow you to get your ticket on the bus to but not in this case.
It is easiest to tell the driver that you want to visit the palace and he will let you know when to get off.
Information about Estoi Palace
Address: R. de São Jose, 8005-465 Faro, Portugal.
Opening hours: Daily all the time since this is a hotel.
Entrance fee: Free of charge. If you want to stay at the hotel the prices are from about 80 euros per night for two persons.
Website: www.pousadasofportugal.com/pousadas/estoi/
Waow, fantastiskt vackert! Jag älskar såna här slott. Och extra fint om man kan bo där förstås 🙂