A "hidden gem" is a tourist trope that is negated by the number of mentions in guidebooks or on YouTube. The Estufa Fria ('cold hothouse') is located at the west side of Parque Eduardo VII, in the very middle of tourist Lisbon. Surrounded by popular sites, I don't recall seeing it in videos or reading much about it.
The Estufa is shielded below a mesh of blinds, far below the level of the sidewalk on the side of the sloping Parque. The Feira do Livro is in the Parque this weekend, too, so accessing the Estufa is even less convenient: down the walk, slip by the entry barricades just one side of the observation deck, down the dusty hill, and around the pond.
The entry portal is the only strictly 'architectural' element in the complex, a white, double-square, double-height stone gatehouse with a tile roof, and a 'ship-and-ravens' weather vane. The rest of the structure is a dark-grey screen of wood lath, but when you enter, the barrier changes from opaque to translucent. A regular grid of lally columns holds a light metal grid for the strapping, but there is a 'bevel', a change of direction just at the entrance, which plays like a lenticular against the sky above.
Entering the garden past the ticket booth is like a viridescent crash-landing – stepping into a technicolor Oz. The breezes pass inside, but the sounds of the city fade; the sunlight enters, too, but the quality is lifted. There is a small water feature on our left, while the outdoor pond continues beyond the vertical straps on our right. We are inside and outside.
The ground steps down, and through a border of pink blossoms, we see a fountain, and a nymph wrestling a dolphin. Turning to the right, and we begin to see the scale of the gardens, as the forest of regular columns continues out past the palm and fern trees.
At the far corner, through a rocky tunnel, we emerge into the Estufa Quente ('warm hothouse'). The air is still and heavy, and the sounds of the city are further damped. The roof above is now a series of clear and diaphanous panels scaffolded by trusses and textured concrete columns. At the center is a large pool, quietly alive with fish and fowl. The trails climb in layers, like an amphitheater, right to the ceiling beams.
As we walk upward, we arrive at the door to the Estufa Doce ('sweet hothouse'), which is thick with thorny and twisty cacti and succulents. Though not cramped, it is a more confined space, with the sloped roof glass reminding us we are in the attics. The tall and tangled stands appear active, and a little dangerous.
Out the other side of the Estufa Doce, and we return to the main Fria space, but at a higher level. A few paces along, and we can see over the canopy. We are greeted by the calls of several roosters which seem to be scattered about the vast room. There are several below us and one definitely above (how'd he get up there?). We descend the narrow, rock-trimmed path to the eastern side of the complex, which features a tall glass storefront under a series of concrete barrel vaults – this long gallery must be underneath the Parque sidewalk.
At the bottom of the stairs is a small, round cavern reminiscent of Parc Güell in Barcelona. In front of the gallery structure is a long reflecting pool, some exotic-looking ferns, and a sculpture of a bather drying herself. As we turn the corner, we detect a trio of roosters, rooting in the underbrush – fiercely arresting, with bright red combs and wattles, and iridescent collars of rusty hackles.
Taking a higher route, passing behind a veil of vines and ferns, and over stretches of stepping-stone trails, we make our way back to the Estufa Quente. From this central perch, we can finally get a sense of the whole – all varieties of walkways, water features, trees, and plantings.
Continuing upward inside the Quente, we get a closer look at some of the blossoms we saw from below. Some of the best views are from these higher walks. Every so often, there are small niches in the rock wall, some with stone benches and some with dripping basins. Small fountains and pools are formed into the margins along the paths.
Exiting outside, we can look back as the plant life spills out toward the pond. It's a sunny, blustery day, and the ducks have taken cover in the shade. The Estufa Fria is an unexpected and romantic refuge, and one of those surprising gems hidden in plain sight.
cases: 25,323,189 global • 6,163,159 USA • 57,768 Portugal
deaths: 849,002 global • 187,100 USA • 1,819 Portugal
