This is a walk for all the family and starts near the Malveira da Serra Primary School. From here we'll set off on our adventure, passing several points of interest in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. We'd like to highlight the surrounding landscapes of the Cascais coast, Cabo Raso and the Guincho and Abano beaches. We'll also see Quinta da Felicidade, Tapada da Urzeira, the Soldiers' Memorial, Calhaus do Monge, Alto da Pedra Amarela and Penedo do Alvante. And since it's King's Day, we'll make a toast to the New Year accompanied by the traditional king cake. Another event not to be missed!

Quinta da Felicidade - Disney Palace

The former owner of the space and the man responsible for building this small Disney Palace, was Carlos Maia Nogueira, one of the founders of the Solbi company, which sold the first personal computer in Portugal. At the time, the businessman bought the land for 70,000 escudos from an Englishman married to a Spanish woman with the name Felicity, which gave rise to the company's name. Quinta da Felicidade.

However, only the name of the estate remained; the original house was demolished, without legal authorisation, to make way for the luxurious, uniquely built mansion with an investment of millions of euros. The truth is that, initially, this mansion right next to the Disney Palace had some impressive details that justified the investment. In addition to the three outdoor pools, there was a heated indoor pool made with blue marble from Venezuela. But if that's not enough to impress you, this mansion already had underfloor heating at the time and stands out for having the largest marble columns built in Portugal.

Everything about this luxury mansion was thought out in detail by the owner, and security was no exception: in addition to a hidden safe, there was also a bunker that would keep the family safe in case of danger. Between 1995 and 1998, the palace received several demolition orders from the Cascais City Council, but this never actually happened.

Next to the mansion is a small replica of the Disneyland Paris palace. The businessman even asked Disneyland Paris for permission to recreate the existing palace in the French park. In addition to receiving authorisation, Carlos Manuel Maia Nogueira also received photos and plans to help with the process.

Quinta da Felicidade wasn't just the family home, it was rented out to his company Solbi, which paid a monthly fee of 10,000 euros. There were various company trainings, parties and events for international brands, for example: the famous Intel company even presented a processor in what they call the Disney Palace of Sintra. However, the end of this golden period in the 2000s, and the corresponding accumulation of debts, led to the end of all luxuries.

- Malveira da Serra - Pedra Amarela viewpoint - Tapada da Urzeira - Quinta da Felicidade - Calhaus do Monge - Penedo do Alvante - Natural landscapes -