CASTLES AND FORTS
1. Silves
Open 9am–5:30pm daily (summer: to 7pm) • Adm
One of the Algarve’s great landmarks, well-preserved Silves Castle dates back to Moorish times, but may have been built on Roman fortifications. Its formidable red sandstone battlements and massive polygonal towers enclose a vast compound.
The battlements of Silves Castle
2. Paderne
The atmospheric ruins of Paderne’s long-abandoned Moorish castle are best appreciated on a Sunday morning, or an early evening when the ram-parts are illuminated. The thick outer walls of mud and sandstone and the remains of a barbican tower are all that exist of the original structure. Inside, the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Assunção lies in mournful pieces.
3. Salir
The ruins of Salir’s Moorish castle have been put to novel effect by locals who have sunk gardens in between the battlements and the keep. The rest of the structure can be explored by treading a circular path around the middle of the fortifications. An interesting museum (see Pólo Museológico de Salir, Salir) completes the picture.
4. Alcoutim
Enjoying a lovely setting, Alcoutim commands glorious views across the River Guadiana to the neighbouring Spanish town of Sanlúcar. The inhabitants of the two settlements were once enemies, but the 14th-century castle was where the short-lived peace treaty between Fernando I and Henrique of Castile was signed on 31 March 1371.
Statue of a smuggler, Alcoutim
5. Aljezur
Dominating the landscape around Aljezur are the ruins of the town’s 10th-century castle. Perched on a hillock with fabulous views of the coast and Serra de Monchique, this Moorish stronghold controlled an ancient river port and provided a vital link with the open sea. Its broad, overgrown courtyard hides remnants of a vaulted cistern and is surrounded by high ramparts, reinforced by two towers – one round, the other square.
6. Tavira
Open summer: 8:30am–7pm Mon–Fri, 10am–7pm Sat & Sun; winter: 8:30am–5pm Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm Sat & Sun
Only the walls of this old Moorish fortification remain, which surrounds a charming, well-maintained garden. There are lovely views.
7. Fortaleza de Cacela Velha
Closed to public
This pocket-sized fortress sits in the quaint hamlet of Cacela Velha, 8 km (5 miles) west of Monte Gordo, in the eastern Algarve. Polygonal in shape, the building dates from the 18th century and enjoys commanding views over a lagoon that teems with waterfowl. Its squat turrets are topped with whitewashed cones.
8. Fortaleza de Sagres
The fortress is steeped in history and myth, with huge walls and bastions dating from 1793. Little, if anything, remains of Henry the Navigator’s original fortress (see Fortaleza de Sagres). Whether or not there was an academy of navigation and astronomy founded here remains a matter of debate and legend. An 18th-century sundial fashioned into the wall is aligned with the famous wind compass, the Rosa dos Ventos.
The view from Fortaleza de Sagres
9. Loulé
Open 9:30am–5:30pm Mon–Fri, 9:30am–2:30pm Sat • Adm
Standing on a site (see Loulé) first occupied by the Romans and later by the Moors, the restored battlements here offer splendid views from the ramparts. Dom Afonso III (1210–79) strengthened and expanded the walls of what was a modest military fortification before adding towers and a keep to create a castle.
10. Castelo de Castro Marim
Open Apr–Oct: 9am–7pm daily; Nov–Mar: 9am–5pm • Adm
The colossal frontier castle of Castro Marim overlooks the border between Spain and Portugal. Built in the 13th century, the castle was the first headquarters of the Order of Christ. Henry the Navigator was a frequent visitor.
Castelo de Castro Marim
