Pousada Palácio de Estoi: The Algarve’s Pink Palace
Note: This post was written in partnership with the Algarve Tourism Bureau. However, as always, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click a link and make a purchase, I will receive a commission at no additional cost to you.
When visiting Portugal’s Algarve, it’s easy to spend the entire time at the beach. Can’t say I blame you. But if you can peel yourself away from the beach for an hour (I know, I know, it’s tough), I recommend checking out Pousada Palácio de Estoi.
Pousada Palácio de Estoi is a pink palace turned luxury hotel in Estoi, Portugal, which is an easy drive from the popular town of Faro. The hotel and grounds are open to the public, so you can explore even if you aren’t staying there.
Now if you’re like me – aka you love the color pink and dream of living in the lap of luxury in Portugal one day (I know, keep dreaming) – read on to learn all about visiting Pousada Palácio de Estoi.
And if you still want to check out those amazing beaches I mentioned before? You can check out my roundup of the Algarve’s best beaches here.
The History of Pousada Palácio de Estoi
Palácio de Estoi is a luxurious neo-Baroque and neo-Rococo mansion surrounded by manicured gardens and azulejos. Azulejos are the famous blue and white tiles you see all around Portugal. If it ain’t Baroque, why fix it right? (Sorry, not sorry.)
Construction on the palace began in the 19th century. It’s a bit difficult to find definitive information in English on the palace’s history. But piecing together what I’ve read online, it seems the palace was built in the 1800s, and at once time it was owned by the Viscount of Estoi, José Francisco da Silva. After he passed away, the estate was kept in his family until 1987. It was then purchased by the Faro City Council. The property fell into disrepair over time, and it was then restored in 2007 and transformed into a luxury hotel. It is now part of the Pousadas de Portugal, which is a group of historic hotel properties.
Where is Pousada Palácio de Estoi
Pousada Palácio de Estoi is located in the town of Estoi in Portugal’s Algarve region. It’s about 6 miles from the popular town of Faro. The address is Rua São José – Estoi, 8005-465 Estói, Portugal. And yes, GPS works in the area, thankfully.
Getting There
You generally need a car to explore Portugal’s Algarve and Pousada Palácio de Estoi is no exception. The hotel offers free parking on site for guests and members of the public.
The Experience
We stopped by one morning for a coffee and to explore the public areas of the hotel and the grounds. The building itself has some beautiful ornate rooms – but also some modern spaces, such as the restaurant, that cater to hotel guests. We enjoyed our coffees in the most ornate pink room we could find. If you’re going to drink your morning coffee, you may as well do it in style! We would have loved to have breakfast here, but it seemed that breakfast was only offered to hotel guests since it’s included in their room rate.
We then walked out to explore the grounds. The building and grounds are ornate and a little bit over the top, but in the best way possible. The grounds have a central fountain in the ornate gardens. And if you walk a little bit further, you can find steps that have beautiful azulejo tiles. The mix of Portugese tiles and neo-Rococo style (complete with cherub statues, of course) is both charming and unique.
The hotel also has a gorgeous swimming pool, but it’s not open to the public. Guess we’ll have to stay here next time we visit the Algarve!
If you’re exploring the Algarve region and want to do something a little bit different, I recommend spending an hour or so exploring Pousada Palácio de Estoi. If you want to get the full pink palace experience, you can also click here to book a room at the hotel.
Where’s the pinkest place you’ve ever been?
xx
Vicki
This is an absolute dream! I would die to visit this pretty palace!