Bacalhôa Buddha Eden

Bacalhôa Buddha Eden is one of the oddest days out in Portugal. On the Quinta dos Loridos, a wine estate near Bombarral in the Oeste, about 35 hectares of garden are filled with golden Buddhas, pagodas, stone lanterns, dragons and hundreds of terracotta soldiers, with vineyards and palm trees around the edges. The owners call it the largest oriental garden in Europe.

It was created by the businessman and art collector José Berardo as a protest against the destruction of the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan, which were blown up in 2001. Around 2007, more than 6,000 tonnes of marble and granite statues were commissioned in China for the garden. A modern sculpture garden was added in 2012 and an African sculpture garden in 2015. The 2026 leaflet puts the number of stone and terracotta sculptures at around 2,000.

For children, the reasons to go are the scale and the surprise: every bend in the path brings something new, from a 21-metre Buddha to a line of soldiers standing guard among the trees.

The garden map is worth a look at the entrance, since it shows the main zones. The ones children tend to head for:

• The Staircase of the Golden Buddhas, the centrepiece, where a wide flight of steps leads up to golden figures sitting calmly over the grounds.
• The Giant Buddha, 21 metres tall according to the garden map.
• The Xian terracotta warriors, rows of soldiers modelled on the famous army buried with China’s first emperor.
• The pagoda towers and the Pagoda Lake, where carved dragons rise out of the water and koi carp swim in the lakes.
• The Thirteen Buddhas of the Dead.
• The Bamboo Maze, a good place to let children run on ahead.
• The Lakes of Tranquillity, the Palm Lake and the Lake Walk Fountain.
• An amphitheatre and a viewpoint over the garden.

There are more sculptures tucked among the trees for children to find, so a hunt for a particular animal or a certain colour of statue keeps younger ones walking.

Further on, the mood changes. The Modern and Contemporary Sculpture Garden shows pieces from the Berardo Collection by artists such as Alexander Calder, Fernando Botero, Tony Cragg, Lynn Chadwick and Allen Jones, and the works are changed from time to time. Large sculptures you can walk round outdoors are an easy way into modern art for children, and older ones may like to look up the artists afterwards.

The African Sculpture Garden is dedicated to the Shona people of Zimbabwe, who have carved stone by hand for more than a thousand years. The Shona believe in ancestral spirits called Vadzimu, and the sculptures are meant to show the link between the physical and spiritual worlds. The leaflet says more than 200 sculptures stand in the shade of about 1,000 palm trees. It is a calmer part of the garden, useful when little ones need a slower half hour.

The little train loops round the garden and is worth it for small legs, grandparents or a hot afternoon. It costs €8 and is free up to age 3, and it runs until closing time. There is a main train stop near the entrance.

When checked in September 2026, entry was €7 for adults and free for children up to and including 12, which makes it an easy day out for a big family. Everything is self-guided and you don’t need to book.

The garden, shop, restaurant and snack bar open every day except 1 January and 25 December. The website gives opening hours of 09:00 to 19:00 from May to September and 09:00 to 18:00 the rest of the year, with last entry half an hour before closing; the 2026 printed leaflet starts the longer hours in April, so check if you are going in April.

A few rules to know before you go. Picnics are not allowed inside the garden. Vehicles are banned apart from wheelchairs and buggies, so leave bikes and scooters in the car. Dogs are welcome on a lead or harness that carries your name, address or phone number. The owners also ask you to lock your car and leave nothing on show in the car park.

There is an all-inclusive buffet restaurant and a snack bar, and a wine shop at the exit. Toilets are in the car park and inside the garden, and bins are spread around the grounds.

The garden is mostly open ground, so bring sun hats and water in summer and something waterproof in winter. Buggies and wheelchairs are allowed throughout, but it is a big site, so allow half a day if you plan to walk it all.

Buddha Eden pairs well with other Silver Coast outings. The walled town of Óbidos is a short drive away, and so is the park and boating lake of Parque D. Carlos I in Caldas da Rainha. Dinosaur fans can combine it with Dino Parque Lourinhã on the same trip.

How much does Buddha Eden cost for children?

Nothing up to age 12. Adults paid €7 when checked in September 2026, and the train cost €8 per rider, free up to age 3.

Can you take a buggy round Buddha Eden?

Yes. Buggies and wheelchairs are the only vehicles allowed in the garden.

Are dogs allowed at Buddha Eden?

Yes, on a lead or harness with the owner’s contact details on it.

Can you picnic at Buddha Eden?

No. Picnics aren’t allowed inside the garden, but there is a buffet restaurant and a snack bar.

How long do you need at Buddha Eden?

Plan on half a day to walk the main zones at a child’s pace. The train helps if time or legs are short.