Twelve kilometres north of Faro in the village of Estoi, the candy-pink rococo palace looks like a small piece of Sintra dropped on the Algarve hillside. Built in the 1840s and finished in 1909, it now operates as a state-run pousada (luxury hotel) — but the gardens, tiled terraces, statues and grottoes are open to the public free of charge.
The formal gardens are the real reason to visit: French-influenced terraces with blue-and-white azulejo tile panels, copies of classical sculpture, a balustraded fountain. Combine the visit with the Roman ruins of Milreu just down the hill — together they make a perfect half-day trip from Faro.