Castelo dos Mouros

The castle was built by the Muslim rulers of the Lisbon region in the tenth century to watch the coast and the approaches to Sintra, taken by Afonso Henriques in 1147, and then left to decay for centuries after its garrison purpose ended. Ferdinand II restored it in the 1840s as part of the romantic reworking of the serra that also produced Pena above it - so what stands is genuine medieval fabric consolidated and partly rebuilt in a nineteenth-century idea of a ruin. The walls run along a granite ridge in a long irregular circuit with towers and a keep, and walking them gives Sintra below, Pena on the neighbouring peak, the Atlantic and, on clear days, Lisbon and the Tagus. Excavations have exposed an Islamic-period silo area and a medieval Christian cemetery inside the walls. Steps are steep, uneven and slippery in the frequent fog.

What you actually see

• The wall circuit - a long irregular line of towers and rampart along the ridge.
• The 1840s restoration - medieval fabric consolidated into a romantic ruin.
• The view - Sintra, Pena, the Atlantic, and Lisbon on clear days.
• The excavations - Islamic-period silos and a medieval cemetery inside the walls.

When to go

Year-round; the serra is often in cloud, which removes the view entirely. Two hours. Early morning is clearest and least crowded.

Honest expectations

Very steep, uneven stone steps with drops and few railings - not suitable for anyone unsteady. Fog hides everything a large part of the year. Sintra is severely overcrowded; use the 434 bus rather than driving. Wind on the ridge is strong.

Nearby

Pena Palace is on the neighbouring peak; Sintra's old town is below.