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Portugal
Northern Portugal
Aveiro District
Bussaco
Things to do in Bussaco
The Palace of Bucaco

The Palace of Bucaco, Bussaco: Address, Phone Number, The Palace of Bucaco Reviews: 4/5

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The Palace of Bucaco

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The Palace of Bucaco
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4.0
235 reviews
Excellent
124
Very good
67
Average
26
Poor
9
Terrible
9
RalfandAl
Taipei, Taiwan39 contributions
Afternoon Tea at the Palace
Jan. 2020 • Friends
We have stayed at the hotel before, but this time we took visitors to walk the ground, followed by tea in the bar. The tea and cakes were excellent and finished off a nice day. Service was good and the tea was up to scratch, which is not always the case in Portugal, which is even more of a coffee country than the other side of the pond. The dinners here are expensive but excellent, having had them in the past, but afternoon tea is a good way to finish off your day.
Written 12 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
swi1626
Zurich, Switzerland47 contributions
the negative reviews are out of place: expect a true enchantment
Jan. 2020 • Couples
You arrive and your breathe will be taken away: such a majestic old palace, well in shape , set in a magical environment. Take the path to the Coimbra gate and admire the golden light at sunset letting its mosaics shine.
Take a tea and chocolate "pao de ló" cake by the fireplace in the afternoon, listening to a gentle piano music.
The dinner in the restaurant pays tribute to Portugal's traditions in the finest way and is served in an impressive royal decor you will never forget.
Please don't do a 5 stars modern interior design, but leave the rooms unchanged (you feel like travelling in the past, when Agatha Christie and Winston Churchill stayed, inspired by the unique setting). I do not share the negative comments about the rooms, as all mine were clean every time I stayed. Some stains on carpet ? Yes, but it was clean ! Hot water, all working well, heater in bathroom, amenities etc.
If you are able to see , appreciate and feel Beauty and Magic of Life, you will be conquered by this most impressive location, where spirit, history and romanticism meet. I have booked a family reunion with 7 rooms for the near future.
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
CrosserFan
Cork, Ireland41 contributions
Very nice but might not actually be worth the detour
Aug. 2019
We decided not to stay in the Palace of Bussaco, as the reviews weren't particularly good. We did drop into the hotel however to admire the Manueline architecture and the azulejos and we also took a walk in the gardens. The whole area is actually a little bit tired and our hotel in nearby Lusso was certainly the lowlight of our entire trip. However, at least we had the option of walking around the little town at night, choosing a restaurant and listening to some music at their outdoor festival. Although the forest of Bussaco is a beautiful shady place for families to gather in the summer, I would have preferred to spend an extra day in the lovely Serra Estrella region or in Coimbra or Tomar.
Written 9 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Gergana M
19 contributions
The grounds are absolutely lovely...
Sep. 2019 • Couples
... and this place makes for a great walk especially in the Portuguese summer heat. As others have stated, the outside of the hotel is amazing and brings you back in time. We stayed overnight and must say that we left the hotel with mixed feelings. The size of the room and bathroom was ok (we stayed in the supreme room). Overnight there was hardly any noise which served for a lovely relaxing night but I must say this place is not worth the 5 stars it has apparently been awarded. Although there were some lovely aspects of our stay, like the great view at dinner, the cotton soft towels and cute balcony, these did not make up for the run-down décor, chipped bathroom tiles, spiderwebs in the bathroom and chipped bathtub. Given the room rate, some TLC would go a long way. Some redecoration, better menu choice and in-house entertainment would absolutely make the price worth it.
Written 4 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LoreneF777
Minneapolis, MN72 contributions
Lovely palace but came for the Forest hiking
May 2019 • Couples
I was so excited to spend an entire day wandering and hiking through the Buçaco Forest. We started with the Via Sacra to make it up to the Cruz Alta early in the day. Unfortunately while taking an alternate path back towards the palace, the poorly marked trails got us quite turned around. I wish that the stations of the cross buildings were marked with corresponding numbers on the park map to keep one oriented. They are doing a lot of restoration on those after a severe storm in 2006.
The forest was indeed truly magical despite our frustration with directions! Do not miss the fern valley or fantastic fountain!
We also had a lovely lunch ( even in our hiking clothes) in the plaice — just make reservations upon arrival for later in the day.
Written 27 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
John A
Hanoi, Vietnam169 contributions
Visually stunning but its best years behind it
May 2019 • Couples
The same could be said of me, I guess (well, 1 out of 2)... Your first fifteen minutes here, including the drive up the hill, are the best. After that, you just notice the rundown state of the rooms and the fact that the bed is too short for anyone over 175 cm. The dining room was a letdown - priced for magnificence, the meal was small and pretentious, delivered by staff who were trying to be posh but generally coming across as haughty. Worth staying a night if you are under 175cm and seeking a taste of Victorian splendour.
Written 26 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Laurence S
Boise, ID11 contributions
Palatial, but...
May 2019 • Couples
I’m very glad we visited this palace and that we stayed the night. The hike up to the viewpoint alone is well worth it. This place is out of the way and not all that easy to get to - we took the train from Porto to Mealhada and then taxi from the train station to the palace. Although the staff were very nice and accommodating (if at times a bit on the haughty side), the accommodations themselves were as others have stated: a bit run down and definitely not 5 star. Rooms are small and ours felt cramped for two people. The palace however is really spectacular, almost everywhere you turn there is another ornate detail to delight and amaze. To recap - totally worth visiting but don’t have real high expectations about the accommodations. Food was excellent.
Written 9 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
A1r1ka
San Diego, CA50 contributions
Beautiful, But In Decline
Apr. 2019
As I stated on my review of the hotel experience, this is a paradox of a palace; beautiful and historical—a unique experience—but it’s so run down that you’ll struggle with what it was, what it is, and what it could be.

It’s a stunning building that’s actually teetering on the brink of collapse while the once-stately grounds offer only glimpses of a better time.

Stick to the outside and you’ll get some amazing pics (and take some lovely walks); go inside and you’ll see neglect and decline that you can maaaaybe write off as old-world charm; stay at the hotel overnight and you’ll feel badly that this old girl just can’t be saved.
Written 23 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Trvlinstyle
Las Vegas , NV38 contributions
Beautiful Palace - Would Recommend
Jan. 2019 • Couples
Palace of Bussaco is a beautiful palace with gorgeous grounds! There is a lot of history in the palace that can be seen throughout. We thoroughly enjoyed the stay overnight. We arrived after dark & so we saw most of the inside filled with antiques that evening. The next morning we got up, opened our curtains and said “WOW!”

We had a beautiful fully renovated bathroom!

The bar is a tad slow but it gave us time to take in the art. The restaurant is satisfactory but nothing special. We ordered the tasting menu with lots of courses & wine but was extremely slow. We were the first to arrive & last to leave (2.5 hour meal). My recommendation would be to pick something simple from the menu.

Hoping to go back in the future!
Written 6 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
i m
Tel Aviv, Israel766 contributions
disappointment
Dec. 2018 • Friends
We travel a lot in the world and we had great expectations from the hotel but unfortunately we came across very small rooms and plastic flower arrangements and in almost every category we did not find anything that would justify five stars a big disappointment
Written 30 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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