October 2020 - going south from Porto to Lisbon we still had a few spots to visit in between. Before going to Coimbra that day we drove into the national park of bussaco. You can buy a car ticket at the entrance booth for reasonable 5€. We drove up to the palace hotel and first had a long hike through the Tasmanian and American forests and found a mysterious cascade with water dripping downwards. Many exotic plants and trees are standing here and especially the many ferns make this spot look like a moderate-climate jungle. We did have a map but the paths are in very Bad shape so we found ourselves crawling under fallen trees or jumping over branches. Somehow we made it to the top again and still had time to circle the palace hotel. It was undergoing renovation which seems more than overdue. In the garden are wooden carved snails to ride on and a toy train, so we had some family time! The cafe has very good cappuccino and pastels de nata again. All in all a mysterious, totally Whs deserving spot which just needs a Bit more conservation. At least I could give small support.