Castles in Portugal

Castles of Portugal

Almourol Castle - Central Portugal

Bragança Castle - Northern Portugal

Castelo dos Mouros - Sintra

Castelo Templário - Central Portugal

Leiria Castle - Central Portugal

Regions of Portugal

  Algarve

  Alentejo

  Central Portugal

  Lisbon

  Northern Portugal

Rental Accommodation in Portugal

  Holiday Lets

  Long Term

Portugal's landscape is literally littered with castles, some large, some small; some fairytale-like set in rivers and others austere and imposing, but all representing the country's long  and sometimes bloody history.

Many of Portugal's castles were constructed along its' border with Spain, though there are just as many inland. And, although built to keep out invasions, the drawbridges have been lowered and the castles of Portugal are now some of the most visited locations in the country.

Not all the castles in Portugal were constructed by the Portuguese. Some were built by the Romans and others by the Moors before the creation of the Kingdom of Portugal in the 12th century and others were built by British allies to help keep out invading French armies as recently as the 19th Century. There are even some castles in Portugal which were built by the now legendary soldier monks, the Knights Templar.

Many of the castles in Portugal are still in very good condition, testament to the skill of the stonemasons and engineers who built them. Even the force of the devastating 1755 earthquake, which rocked Portugal was unable to topple many. Those which did crumble have been rebuilt to enable visitors to enjoy the history of Portugal.

Today you can visit many of the castles in Portugal and get a feel for the rich heritage of the country. At Guimarães Castle (Castelo de Guimarães) in Northern Portugal for example you can scale the massive granite steps, walk the battlements and marvel at the views over the historic city, the birthplace of Portugal and the 2012 European Capital of Culture.

At Elvas in the Alentejo region you can't help but be impressed with the fortifications which helped stave off a French invasion and now provides superb views across the Rio Guadiana towards Spain.

If you prefer your castles with a more fairy-tale look then you had best head to Sintra, once the playground of princes, on the Lisbon Coast where the remains of the Moorish Castle (Castelo dos Mouros) is surrounded by lavish, baroque palaces. Or to Almourol Castle in central Portugal which sits amid the Rio Tagus, only accessible by a brightly coloured taxi boat?

But if you really want to feel like royalty and make your stay in Portugal truly historic, why not book a few nights in a real Portuguese castle? Óbidos Castle in central Portugal, one of the 7 Wonders of Portugal, was the first castle to be converted into a hotel, though there are now many others throughout the country.