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My Escapes Portugal Another Lovely Trip to Portugal! Sintra Day Trip to Sintra The Windy Castle of the Moors [...]
The Windy Castle of the Moors in the Woods
The Moorish Fortress on top of a smaller mountain near Sintra is both a historic attraction and a great viewpoint.
From the peak you can even see Belém, Lisbon and the Atlantic Ocean - in clear weather.
After having walked out the Pena Palace and wandering in its park, I found my way to the Moorish Castle through the woods.
Weird forest - to me, rather unusual by all aspects. I'll provide details lower on this page.
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As its name suggests, it's a fortification built by the Moors, who ruled much of the Iberian Peninsula in the middle ages.
The fortress was built around the 8-9th centuries, strategically at an elevation of 420 m.
The Christians took the fortress after the fall of Lisbon, in 1147 without any fight (the Moors surrendered). Perhaps this is why it was so well-maintained, not ruined!
It's one of Portugal's largest fortresses worth visiting.
In fact, this was the first Moorish-related attraction that I've ever visited.
It's relatively close to the Pena Palace (literally located on the neighbouring hilltop), just that it requires a lot of walking.
Go there only if you really know what you want.
It's a rocky medieval fortress, don't expect more than roughly what you see on my photos.
Basically, it's a "collection of rocky walls". Not much else.
At the time of my visit, it was quite windy and it was raining a bit.
There are shorter ways to get to the fortress, but I chose the longer one - for the sake of adventure: I went through the humble forest.
It's not particularly dangerous, just watch your step, there are abrupt slopes.
Splendid view from the Pena Palace
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My 18 EUR combo ticket included the entry fee to the Castle of the Moors, the Pena Palace and to the latter's park (there were some rough screaming guys checking the tickets even in the park).
The sky was clear, I was able to zoom in on distant Lisbon and Belém. Notice the landmarks.
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As follows, I will leave you in company of my photos.
First are shots from my very light and short forest hike, then several photos from the fortress...
Leaves everywhere
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What was weird about this fortress: the vast amount of huge boulders, scattered...
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All boulders were round, as if they were polished seaside cliffs...
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The path I walked on... amid boulders
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Staring up at the Moorish Fortress from the path below...
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The green Moorish flag
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Pena Palace in the distance
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Round boulders are found even at the top of the mountain - more than 400 m high
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Fortress walls embracing the forest...
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Spectacular views! Notice the National Palace down below - the building with the pointed tower.
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Path carved into hard rock... reminds me of the Incas!
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Minimalist wooden box complex: they sell expensive foods, there's a toilet and covered museum areas
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On top of the wooden building
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The roof's top windows let natural light in...
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Inside the wooden building: ancient storage holes in the ground
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More storage holes left behind by the Moors
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The cistern was a water reservoir, built in the 13th century by Christians.
It could hold 600 cubic metres of water between its granite blocks.
Legend says: it never dried up, becaus a Moorish king is buried underneath it.
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About the Author:
Escape Hunter, the young solo traveler in his early 30's explores the World driven by curiosity, thirst for adventure, deep passion for beauty, love for freedom and diversity.
With a nuanced, even humorous approach to travel, an obsession for art and design, Escape Hunter prefers to travel slowly, in order to learn and "soak up" the local atmosphere...
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As "Escape Hunter" - the curious incognito traveler with an insatiable drive to explore, I embark on slow and deep travels around
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Travel Slang Dictionary
Guide to my personal travel slang vocabulary, which seasons my content...
The walls run in zig-zag. This reminds me of the Great Wall of China.