点评:Entrance to the gardens is restricted. You must tour with a guide. You cannot just wander in; you need to make reservations: santarvilajardim.pt
Even in the fall the gardens are beautiful.
If you are considering touring these gardens, do it now because climate change is stressing these gardens, still beautiful but the gardeners have had to swap in non-native plants that can survive hot and dry conditions. While traveling to Santar one can see the extremely low level of the Dão river and the gardens ran out of irrigation water while we were there.
The drought stress is making all of the majestic boxwoods susceptible to boxwood blight. The gardeners are working double-time to protect these plantings so that they don't end up dead in a boxwood ghost town like the dead boxwood in Tomar's Mata Nacional dos Sete Montes.
The gardens still are in good condition and Ana was our enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide.
IMPORTANT: Santar Vila Jardim and Valverde Hotel are two separate businesses. If you stay at the hotel the tips you give are shared among their employees but Santar garden guides are not part of that program; you should tip them separately.
翻译:花园实行入园限制,必须由导游带领参观,不能随意进入,需要提前预约:santarvilajardim.pt
即使在秋季,花园依然美丽。
如果您正计划参观这些花园,请尽快行动,因为气候变化正在给花园带来压力。尽管花园依然美丽,但园丁们不得不种植一些能够适应炎热干燥环境的非本地植物。前往桑塔尔的途中,可以看到达奥河水位极低,我们参观时,花园的灌溉用水已经枯竭。
干旱使得所有高大的黄杨树都容易感染黄杨枯萎病。园丁们正在加倍努力地保护这些植物,以免它们像托马尔的塞特蒙特斯国家森林公园(Mata Nacional dos Sete Montes)里的枯黄杨一样,最终变成一片枯萎的“黄杨鬼城”。
花园目前状况良好,我们的导游安娜热情博学。
重要提示:桑塔尔维拉雅尔丁酒店 (Santar Vila Jardim) 和瓦尔韦德酒店 (Valverde Hotel) 是两家独立的企业。如果您入住瓦尔韦德酒店,您给的小费将由酒店员工共享;但桑塔尔花园导览员不参与此共享计划,您需要单独给他们小费。