Castle of Castro Marim

About

Likely originating as a Moorish castle built to protect the coast, it was taken by by Don Paio Peres Correia in 1242. After the Christian reconquest, the castle was rebuilt and reinforced with new battlements to protect against Spanish and from Moorish counterattacks. This created a unique ‘castle within a castle situation’, where the ‘Old Castle’ was surrounded by the new. In the 14th century, the castle became the headquarters of the Order of Christ, a substitute the Templar Order. Today, visitors can roam the grounds, soaking in the panoramic views offered by the castle’s strategic location. The town tourist map marks out the castle’s cisterns, cemetery, old hospice, two churches and the magazine.