Moorish Castle--Sintra, Portugal

10:46:00 AM Out And About Global 0 Comments

Our tour guide in Lisbon told us, "if it means you lose one day in Lisbon, Sintra is worth it" and oh how right he was! Our day there may have been my favorite of the vacation. About 30 minutes northwest of Lisbon, Sintra is where the rich and famous (of the 19th century) built their vacation homes. There are several castles, we only hit 3.

The Details
Moorish Castle
Address: Parque de Monserrate, 2710-405, Sintra, Portugal
Getting There: We had a rental car so we drove, but parking was difficult and our GPS got us lost a couple of times. My favorite tour guide, Rick Steves', recommends taking the train from Lisbon. This option requires a bit more walking, but we noticed the tourist bus 432 coming and going all day, so you can definitely get around on public transportation.
Hours: 10am-6pm
Time: We spent a full day in Sintra, the Moorish Castle got about an hour of our time.
Cost: Adults €6, children €5--There are several ticket options including family combo passes for visiting more than one castle. See website for details.
Tip: Unless you are here in the heat of summer, I'd recommend a light jacket. The winds get whipping around up top and it can be chilly. Also, wear study shoes, this is no place for ballet flats!

The Moorish Castle was built in the 8-9th centuries during the Arab occupation of Portugal. Eventually, the Christians kicked the Arabs out of the country and regained control of the castle. Archaeological excavations have unearthed the foundations of small houses, storage pits and graves. I played around a bit in the "editing room" with my photos, so you will notice they aren't consistently colored.