Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe. Its history has shaped the landscape, defined culture, and influenced architecture. The castle is perhaps the most evocative of all the historical structures found throughout the country.
Portugal is densely fortified with castles. They can be found on hills and mountains, as well as plains and rivers and in towns and cities. Indeed, these mighty monuments serve as historical markers, and their romantic appeal is noticeable. Each has a distinct personality and a story to tell. They are fascinating reminders of the country’s noble, if sometimes turbulent, history.
Some of the best castles in Portugal are listed below.
1. Castelo de Guimarães, Guimarães
Guimares, in northern Portugal’s wild and verdant Minho province, is also the birthplace of Dom Afonso Henriques, Portugal’s first king, and was once the capital of the kingdom of “Portucale.” Because of its historical significance, UNESCO designated the old town as a World Heritage Site in 2001.
The magnificent Castelo de Guimares is the most important structure. With foundations dating back to the 10th century, the structure you see today is largely the result of two centuries of expansion by Henry of Burgundy, as well as reinforcements in the second half of the 14th century. The imposing heavy-set walls and a series of crenellated towers conceal a rather modest interior, the highlight of which is the central keep – the Torre de Menagem.
Visitors can walk along the sturdy ramparts and absorb the tangible medieval atmosphere. Climb the keep, however, for a true sense of occasion and to take in some spectacular views of the surrounding area. Following that, you can pay a visit to the small Romanesque chapel of São Miguel, just outside the castle walls, where Dom Afonso was baptized.
2.Castelo de Almourol, Vila Nova da Barquinha
The spectacular setting of Castelo de Almourol on a stony, pocket-sized islet in the Tagus River makes it arguably the most evocative of all Portugal’s castles. The redoubt, with its tall, narrow keep and ramparts adorned with towers, is the embodiment of medieval Portugal.
Almourol Castle, built on the foundations of a Roman fortress in the late 12th century, served as a defensive trading post, guarding river traffic between the region and Lisbon, further south.
However, the Order of the Knights Templar, later known as the Order of Christ in Portugal, is most closely associated with the stronghold. The secretive order established itself on the islet, confident that even if the river was breached, the craggy shore and the castle’s vertiginous walls would keep marauders at bay.
A ferry now transports visitors from a landing stage opposite the castle. Once ashore, you can make your way through the undergrowth to the entrance. Within the walls, there isn’t much to see. Instead, reaching the top of the keep rewards you with an uninterrupted pastoral view.
3. Castelo de Penedono, Penedono
The Castle of Penedono, also known as Castelo do Magrico, is located on the top of a rocky crest, 947 meters high, giving it a sense of grandeur and Medieval charm. This solid lichen-encrusted fortress has stood here since the 10th century.
As Penedono’s population grew in the early 16th century, the castle was converted into a residence. Since the 14th century, the castle has been a focal point for Portuguese nobility, most notably housing the Coutinho family during the Portuguese dynamic crisis of 1383-1385. By the 1800s, it had fallen into disrepair. The castle, which was renovated in the 1960s, is now a local landmark known for its heavy castellated walls crowned with pyramidal tops.
Visitors enter the castle through the town’s stone-clad square, which is notable for its toothpick-like Pelourinho (pillory). There isn’t much to see inside the castle, but the views from the battlements are spectacular.
4. Castelo de Montemor-o-Velho, Montemor-o-Velho
The castle at Montemor-o-Velho, situated on a hillside and overlooking the Mondego River, was once a primary defense for Coimbra, which is located 32 kilometers to the east.
Built on the site of a Moorish mosque in the 11th century, the castle was expanded and reinforced by successive Portuguese monarchs into what it is today, a truly impressive medieval defensive structure with crenelated walls that almost reach the water’s edge.
The church of Santa Maria de Alcaçova, founded in 1090, stands within its walls. If you go inside, you’ll notice that its naves and arches reflect the flourishing Manueline style of architecture, which was created as a result of 15th-century restoration.
5. Castelo de Leiria, Leiria
Leiria is a lovely town with traditional charm and character that is worth a stop on your way through the Estremadura region. It is defined historically by a single outstanding monument, the resplendent Castelo de Leiria.
The castle’s foundations date back to the early 12th century, and it sits atop a hilltop in the city center. Occupied by the Moors during their dominance of the Iberian Peninsula, it was eventually recaptured in 1135 by King Afonso Henriques, only to be retaken by Moor forces five years later. Finally, in 1142, the castle came under permanent Christian control and became a popular royal retreat.
It’s a joy to visit the elevated stronghold. You enter through the Albacara Gateway before embarking on a historical stroll that takes in various points of interest. The former royal palace is an obvious draw. During the 14th century, this was King Dinis’ primary residence. The apartments are now used as a library and meeting rooms.
The keep houses a small archaeological museum. The beautiful loggia, from which you can gaze over a verdant canvas of pine forest and the town’s terra-cotta-hued rooftops, is the highlight of a tour. The castle walls also encompass the Gothic ruins of the church of Nossa Senhora da Pena.
6. Castelo de Mértola, Mértola
Mértola is tucked away in the far southern reaches of the Alentejo. This charming whitewashed town is perched on a ridge high above the Guadiana River and is steeped in history. There are no less than ten mini-museums located in and around the old quarter, each dedicated to a specific era within Mértola’s time frame, a fascinating history that includes the Phoenician, Roman, and Islamic periods. The castle is the jewel in the crown of all of this.
The grounds surrounding the stronghold have been excavated to reveal the foundations of Moorish dwellings, and you should explore this archaeological wonderland before exploring the 1292 keep.
The castle was constructed to protect the approach to the town, which is located near the confluence of the Guadiana and Oeiras rivers. Mértola was once a vital river port, and lookouts stationed on the battlements could have spied the approach of a potential enemy using the waterway or threatening the town from the surrounding countryside.
Visitors can now enjoy the same valley views while peering down on the maze of narrow lanes and alleys that make the ancient walled town such a fascinating place to explore. At the same time, keep an eye out for the massive stork nests anchored on the walls near the church tower. A small archaeological museum is housed in the keep. The beautiful loggia from which you can gaze over a verdant canvas of pine forest and the town’s terra-cotta-hued rooftops is the highlight of a tour. The castle walls also encompass the Gothic ruins of Nossa Senhora da Pena church.
7. Castelo de Tomar ou dos Templários, Tomar
The Convento de Cristo in Tomar is one of Europe’s most significant monumental legacies of the Order of the Knights Templar, the militant monk-knights that King Dinis transformed into the Order of Christ in Portugal. The convent, one of the country’s most important historical buildings, is worth at least an hour of anyone’s time, but the adjoining castle is essential to any visit. Its oblong keep towers over the town below, one of the most beautiful in central Portugal, and serves as a model for monastic architecture.
The stronghold was built in 1160 by the Grand Master of the Templars on land given to the Order in exchange for services in battle. It consists primarily of the keep surrounded by two crenellated curtain walls. The main entrance to the Convent of Christ is nearby.
Visitors are awed by the enormous dimensions of the convent building, including the central Charola, the original Templar church, also known as the Rotunda, and the monastery’s nucleus, from the top of the keep.
The convent and its sentinel castle are so beautiful, complex, and unique that UNESCO designated the entire structure as a World Heritage Site many years ago.
8. Castelo de Bragança, Bragança
It’s well worth the long drive northeast to visit the old town of Bragança, named after Portugal’s penultimate royal dynasty and located in the stunningly barren and wild Trás-os-Montes region. The Cidadela, or “citadel,” a complete circuit of ominous granite walls encircling a collection of superbly preserved buildings and monuments, including the formidable castle, crowns an isolated hilltop apart from the modern conurbation.
Completed in 1187 on King Sancho I’s instructions, its austere appearance is intentional, with one of its watchtowers known as the Torre da Princesa, a de facto prison where mistreated wives of deceitful noblemen frequently ended up. The fortified Gothic keep of the castle towers over the walled citadel. Inside, the Museu Militar houses a modest collection of medieval suits of armour and weaponry.
Finish the journey by ascending to the roof. The soaring viewpoint displays the walls’ overwhelming strength and impregnability.
When you return to the earth, spend some time visiting the old town. Don’t miss the Domus Municipalis, a strange-looking pentagonal council chamber and Portugal’s only surviving specimen of Romanesque civil architecture.
9. Castelo de Silves, Silves
The largest castle in southern Portugal’s Algarve province is also the country’s greatest example of Islamic military building, which is why the lively market town of Silves is one of the region’s most popular visitor destinations.
Silves was the cosmopolitan capital of Moorish al-Gharb as Xelb. The occupying Arabs fortified the town by constructing an apparently impregnable hilltop castle with superb walls that encircled the entire village.
By the mid-12th century, Silves had established itself as a renowned cultural centre, attracting Islamic poets, philosophers, and geographers. However, this gilded epoch was cruelly cut short by the entrance of King Sancho I and a merciless Crusader army, which devastated Silves in 1189.
Today, the castle, still clad in stunning red sandstone, provides tourists with breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape from its massive polygonal ramparts. Within the castle, there are spruce gardens and a stunning 13th-century arched water cistern, which is claimed to be haunted by the spirit of a Moorish woman.
10. Castelo dos Mouros, Sintra
The spectacular late 8th-century Castelo dos Mouros, or Moorish Castle, is one of the attractions in the lush and wonderfully lovely town of Sintra. Its weather-beaten ramparts snake along the Serra’s granite-hewn outlines to resemble a line of broken teeth, clinging to a jagged cliff high up in the Serra de Sintra highlands.
The fortress remained a strategically vital stronghold for the Moors until 1147 when it was seized by Afonso Henriques, Portugal’s first ruler.
To reach the lofty redoubt on foot, you’ll need a strong set of legs (a way-marked road from the town centre leads hikers across the steep and wooded lower slopes to the castle’s curtain walls). The shuttle bus, which conveniently stops outside the main door, is used by the majority of visitors.
Allow at least an hour to explore the castle once inside. The outline of Moorish-era grain silos and a water cistern, as well as the remnants of a medieval church, may be seen on the ground. After that, climb the strong walls for a stunning stroll around the battlements, where you can appreciate dramatic views of the town below and the distant Atlantic coast.
Along the route, make a stop at “Fernando’s Tower,” a squat bulwark named for the Portuguese ruler who renovated the walls in the nineteenth century. From here, you can see why UNESCO designated the destination as a World Heritage cultural landscape.
11. Castelo de São Jorge, Lisbon
The majestic Castelo de São Jorge in Lisbon is Portugal’s most visited castle. The majestic stronghold atop a hill overlooking the city’s bustling Baixa (downtown) neighbourhood is the most visible historical monument in the Portuguese capital.
The castle’s foundations date from the late 12th century, however evidence shows a fortification of some kind stood here as early as the Iron Age. It is a “must-see” on any Lisbon travel itinerary. The Moors fortified the fortifications of Lisbon sufficiently to repel Christian armies during their occupation. King Afonso Henriques ultimately reclaimed the fortress in 1147, and a palace within the fortifications was built as a royal dwelling.
The entire structure was demolished and much of the castle was damaged in the terrible 1755 earthquake. Following renovations, most of its previous magnificence was restored, and today, Castelo de São Jorge remains one of Lisbon’s most appealing tourist attractions.
Climbing atop the battlements and walking along the ramparts is the greatest way to appreciate the castle’s size. Several towers provide elevated views of the city below. Torre de Ulisses, for example, has a camera obscura that projections views of the capital onto the interior walls. Children will enjoy scrambling over the cannons that line the observation deck, which offers a wonderful view of Lisbon and the Tagus River.
Other attractions include an exploration of the foundations of the once-grand royal palace and an exhibition of objects uncovered during archaeological excavations at a nearby interpretive centre.
12. Castelo de Marvão, Marvão
The wide Alentejo area of Portugal is littered with spectacular castles, but few compare to the secluded beauty of Marvo. The well-preserved castle, in fact an extension of the calm medieval hamlet perched high up in the distant Serra de So Mamede, looks across an expanse of desolate plains into Spain. Indeed, it was built as a border castle over existing Moorish foundations in the late 13th century to withstand Spanish incursions.
A long, winding trip to the top of a granite cliff, where Marvo sits 861 meters above sea level, is required to visit the castle. Its 14th-century walls, as well as its later 17th-century buttresses, are impressively unscathed. The battlements encircle a keep and an outstanding cisterna, which is still full with water.
The trees that adorn the spruce lawn cradle lovely almond blossoms in the spring. The only other distraction is the village itself, a cluster of tiny, whitewashed cottages sitting over cobblestone alleys that appear to be imprisoned in a 600-year time warp. The most remarkable part, though, is the breathtakingly beautiful scenery and the history it invokes. The sensation is utterly hypnotic.
13. Castelo de Alcoutim, Alcoutim
Alcoutim, a lovely riverside village, is one of the Algarve’s untouched beauties. The little hamlet overlooks Sanlcar de Guadiana, a similar-sized village perched on the opposite side of the river in Spain, and is located on the banks of the Guadiana River, deep in the heart of the countryside. The old walls of Alcoutim’s castle, which overlooks the coastline, add a lot to the bucolic landscape.
Alcoutim Castle, built in the 14th century to replace an abandoned Moorish fortress further north along the river, acted as a barrier against Portugal’s ancient rival, Spain; the Guadiana acts as a natural border for both countries and is at its narrowest point in this beautiful postcard spot. The fort also served as a checkpoint for trade along the bustling river.
Only a small part of the wall remains nearly 600 years later. Fortunately, this faces the village and the river, so visitors are rewarded with a picturesque view of the surroundings. Within the keep, an interesting archaeological museum has been built, with a display of exhibits illustrating the region’s history.
Take a ferry to Sanlcar and see what is essentially a mirror image of Alcoutim: the Spanish settlement even has its own ruined castle, perched high in the hills to the east. The more daring can return to Portugal via zipline, the world’s only cross-border zipline trip.
14. Castelo de Monsaraz, Monsaraz
The castle linked to the walled medieval town of Monsaraz in the Alentejo region of Portugal is one of the country’s most well-known. In reality, this vast region is known for its numerous ancient forts, and this magnificent redoubt is as gorgeous as they come.
The castle, built in the 13th century on the instructions of Kings Afonso III and Dinis as part of a network of border defences to dissuade Spanish attack, perches on the western edge of the hill it’s set on, at the end of a long cobbled road that runs the whole length of the town. Its ramparts mix in with the walls that appear to support the chalk-white terraced buildings that line the narrow streets and lanes of Monsaraz.
Because this is an isolated part of the nation, don’t be shocked if you’re the only one following the battlements or scaling the keep. Needless to say, the views are spectacular, with acres of perfectly combed fields, cork oak, and, in the distance, Europe’s largest man-made reservoir, the Barragem de Alqueva.
Arrive here at sunrise if you have the chance. The rising temperature causes a mist to form on the water, gently enveloping the surrounding landscape in a magnificent gossamer shine. At dusk, though, the castle walls gleam in a tangerine wash as the treasured relic is bathed in mild lights.
15. Castelo de Santa Maria da Feira, Santa Maria da Feira
Santa Maria da Feira’s pinnacled and crenellated castle crowns a hill overlooking this rich town near Ovar in Portugal’s Beira Alta area, dating back to the 15th century but benefiting from significant 20th-century rebuilding.
The castle, a symbol of Portuguese medieval military construction, lies on the site of a temple dedicated to a local deity, the foundations of which date back to the 11th century. In the 1400s, a fortress-like structure was constructed over the hallowed ruins, which was eventually purchased by wealthy town citizen Ferno Pereira. In an attempt to transform the stronghold into a magnificent castle, he constructed watchtowers and conical turrets. It was passed down via his family until 1700.
Since 1910, the castle has been designated as a national monument, and it now provides a unique opportunity for exploration. The parapets and walls provide pleasant views of the town and surrounding countryside, and the structure has retained its picturesque aspect.
