Castelo dos Mouros
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Why go
- Wall walks overlook Sintra, the Palace of Pena and the Atlantic.
- A 500-step staircase reaches Torre Real, the highest tower.
- On clear days, the panorama extends to Mafra and Ericeira.
- The castle forms part of Sintra’s cultural landscape, inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1995 as Europe’s first cultural landscape.
Opening hours
Today10:00 – 18:00Show all
Don't miss
- Traitors GateThe gate opens into the castle’s main military square.Main military square
- Church of São PedroExcavations here uncovered medieval graves dating to around the start of the 13th century.Near Portão de Armas
- CisternA spring inside once supplied Sintra National Palace.Beside the church
- Torre RealThe tower served as the citadel during the Islamic period.Southwest corner of the castle
Know before you go
- Private vehicles are not permitted to access the monument.
What's inside
- Ruins near the entrance include cellars, animal pens and a cistern.
- Arab-era storage silos dot the perimeter, many partly covered by vegetation.
- The chapel has a vaulted nave with fresco remnants of a haloed figure and floral and geometric designs.
- The chapel’s southern entrance has an arched doorway with columns and capitals carved with plant or fantastic-animal motifs.
Tips for your visit
- Some wall sections are narrow and have no safety rails.
- The visit centres on the walls and viewpoints; little remains inside the castle.
Interesting facts3
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12,000 square
The castle covers about 12,000 square metres within a perimeter of roughly 450 metres.
Castelo dos Mouros (Sintra) - Wikipedia -
1910
The castle and cistern became National Monuments on 23 June 1910.
Château des Maures - Wikipedia -
An annual fire at the castle reminded Cascais of the protection it offered.
Sintra - Wikivoyage (see)
Shorts
History
Portuguese rulers increasingly stayed at Sintra National Palace, and the castle declined after the 15th century. Little of the original complex survives today.
- 8th–9th c.Muslim forces fortified the rocky site to control land routes linking Sintra with nearby settlements.
- 1147After Lisbon fell, the castle surrendered to Christian forces.
- UndatedAfonso Henriques entrusted the castle’s defence to 30 residents and granted them privileges in a charter.
- 1154Sintra received a charter and the castle’s defences were repaired.
- Second half of the 12th centuryThe chapel inside the walls became the parish seat.
Show all
- 1185–1211King Sancho I remodelled and reinforced the castle’s defences.
- 1375After a Castilian siege, King Ferdinand I ordered the castle rebuilt.
- 1493The chapel, still used for worship in the early 15th century, had been abandoned by 1493.
- 16th c.After Manuel I expelled Jews who used the site, the castle was abandoned.
- 1636Lightning damaged the keep.
- 1755The Lisbon earthquake badly damaged the chapel and weakened the castle.
- 1839Ferdinand II leased the castle and began reconstruction.
- 1840Ferdinand II began conserving the castle, consolidating its walls and restoring the chapel.
- 1939–1992Wall restoration began in 1939, with later campaigns in 1954, 1965, 1986 and 1992.
How to get there
- TrainTrains on the Sintra Line run from Lisbon’s Oriente, Rossio and Entrecampos stations to Sintra.
- BusBus 434 connects Sintra train station with the castle.
- 60 minOn footThe Santa Maria Trail starts at Info Parques de Sintra in S. Pedro de Sintra. It is 1,770 metres and takes about an hour.
- On footThe Seteais Trail starts at the Palace of Seteais and runs 2,410 metres.
- On footPedestrian trails also provide access to the monument.
Sources: Castle of the Moors - Wikipedia · Castle of the Moors - Wikipedia (part 2) · Sintra - Wikivoyage (see) · Parques de Sintra - A Journey Through History · Moorish Castle - Parques de Sintra · Opening Times and Prices - Sintra Parks and Mon… · Castelo dos Mouros (Sintra) - Wikipedia · Castelo dos Mouros - Wikipedia · Château des Maures - Wikipedia · School and Youth Recreational Programme - Sintr… · Portuguese School of the Equestrian Art - Sintra · checked 29 Sep 2026
Questions and answers
Is Castelo dos Mouros within a natural park?
Yes. It stands within the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park.
When did archaeological excavations begin at Castelo dos Mouros?
Excavations at the castle have been underway since 1976.
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