Estufa Fria: The Jungle in a Quarry

Why is it significant?

Stand at the entrance of the Estufa Fria on the western side of the park and look down. Sunk into the ground below you is a jungle of ferns, palms and dripping green, roofed not with glass but with slats of wood that let the sunlight through in stripes.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Stand at the entrance of the Estufa Fria on the western side of the park and look down. Sunk into the ground below you is a jungle of ferns, palms and dripping green, roofed not with glass but with slats of wood that let the sunlight through in stripes.

Estufa Fria means cold greenhouse, and the name is a small joke: there is no heating at all. The slats simply shade the plants from the summer sun and shelter them from the wind, and in Lisbon's mild climate that is enough. The hollow itself is an old basalt quarry, dug out for stone that went into the city's streets and buildings.

The story goes that it began almost by accident. In the 1910s, plants intended for a project elsewhere were left in the abandoned quarry; the work stalled during the First World War, and by the time anyone came back, the plants had thrived on their own. A gardener and painter, Raul Carapinha, saw what the place could become and designed a garden there. It opened to the public in 1933.

Later two warmer sections were added, the Estufa Quente and the Estufa Doce, the hot greenhouse and the sweet greenhouse, for tropical plants and for cacti and succulents. Inside there are ponds with fish and ducks, little bridges, grottoes, statues half hidden among the leaves, and plants from every continent, all living in a hole that was dug to pave Lisbon.

It is a reminder that the people who made this city's gardens understood its sun, its wind and its rock better than any blueprint. Now climb the last stretch to the top of the park. It is a long, steady slope, so take your time. At the summit, find the viewpoint near the enormous flag, and only then turn around.