We weren’t supposed to go to the Moorish Castle. We were stood up by a tour guide and had to wing our trip to Sinatra from Lisbon (surprisingly easy). My entire family agrees that the tour guide not showing up was the best thing that could of happened because we can’t image our trip with going here. Some quick notes and advice on getting the the Castle. In Lisbon, we walked to Rossio station, bought 4 cheap tickets and got a train with little waiting. After getting off in Sinatra, there is were an ungodly number of people offering to drive you to the castle/palace (or do a tour) for 10 euros. We had already decided we wanted to do the hike up (we enjoy nature and hikes and the weather was nice in mid June). The hike up (that takes about an hour) was beautiful and we’re glad we did it, but it’s one of the most difficult hikes I’ve ever done (I’ve been a scout leader for 12 years). The incline is often steep, there is bouldering, and smooth narrow stone steps in places. Don’t try it in the rain. Because we did it in the morning (around 10) there weren’t a ton of people so we took our time stopping and taking pictures. When we walked back down at 3pm it was too crowded to stop since in places the walkway is only big enough for 1 person. When we got to the ticket booth the first available entrance to Pena Palace was 1:30 so we went to the Moorish Castle first (I’d recommend buying tickets ahead of time and doing the opposite since Pena is far more crowded). It was another 10 minute walk up with a small museum and some archeological digs along the way. Then you can visit the cistern and a small café before the main attraction (I don’t recommend the café. Terrible selection). The Moorish castle doesn’t have rooms and furniture, it’s just sprawling high walls that you can walk from end to end. The views and the scenery are absolutely spectacular. It’s being surrounded by some of the most beautiful land you’ve ever seen, seeing as far as the ocean, with castles doted in the distance, while standing on nearly on something man made that’s nearly a thousand years old. It’s awing. Ten out of ten must do. Now for the warnings. There are very few safety features to mar this experience. Do not even attempt if you have any mobility issues, any balance issues, have a low fitness level, or are afraid of heights. If you go with young kids talk them ahead of time about not running and staying away from the edges and keep your eye on them. And absolutely don’t attempt if the ground in wet. It would be a death trap.

We found a parking spot near Castelo dos Mouros and Pena Palace, both near the city of Sintra, away from the overcrowded city of Lisbon. When approaching the Pena Palace, we saw a long queue with tourists. With our Lisbon card, we were allowed to skip the queue via a bypass. But that did not help much: time slots were issued for about two hours later. After some deliberation we decided to avoid this and to change our destination. We should have planned this ahead by arriving much earlier, or having booked online in advance. The website hints that early in the morning or late afternoon are the best times to visit the Palace. Instead, we went to the nearby Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle), without a waiting queue when we were there. The Lisbon card allowed no free access but granted 20% discount, so we paid €20.40 for 2 persons. The tickets we got contained a QR-code for downloading an audio tour, which I used barely as the spoken explanations were rather long. I still used it from time to time to read the associated text, and skip the talking. Given that there are lots of stairs, slopes and uneven pavement to cope with, there is little opportunity to use the audio tour (text or sound) proficiently, while walking and climbing takes all of your attention. It is not an easy climb. No hand rails or something of the kind. I succeeded nevertheless despite my age (76) and related imperfect walking abilities, using everything withing reach I could get my hands on to support my climbing. Luckily, the number of other visitors was limited. I don't want to think of repeating this exercise at times when really busy. I did not reach the top, but came far beyond halfway, leaving myself very proud of my achievements. Indeed, it takes some effort, an euphemism for sure, but eventually the view higher-up is spectacular. Looking down on villages below, very far below, one can easily feel insurmountable in this very old (8th or 9th century) fortress. It served not only as a watch tower but was also specifically designed to protect Lisbon and its surroundings.

So glad we did this. We opted for her rather than Pena due to reviews, and felt this was the right choice as we got pictures of Pena from the castle. We bought tickets online from the official website before going, you get a discount if you buy more than 3 days ahead. The walk itself requires a certain level of fitness, even to get to the entry point. The views are spectacular, and you get 3 different options to walk to the top. We fell lucky, as the one we chose (without realising) have us views of Pena too, as well as Sintra and beyond. You can also see Quinta da Regaleira such we had visited earlier, and there is a static binocular look out to get more close up views. It wasn't overly busy. Note that on our way out there were people queuing to buy tickets, the ticket office was closed 12-1pm, so avoid that time or buy online if you are intending to visit around that time. Would highly recommend if you can cope with the steps

A 15-minute walk from the Pena Palace is the entrance to this Moorish (Muslim) wall. So it is a Recommendation to visit Pena Palace in the early hours of the morning, followed by the Moorish walls. The main attraction is the ramparts, but the walk from the entrance to the ramparts takes about 10 minutes. History buffs will love the site, as the road to the ramparts contains ruins such as Moorish tombs, and a museum featuring archaeological artifacts found near the ramparts in a small chapel. The walls were also a maze of places to tickle your sense of adventure. Also, the city of Sintra was magnificent from there. It is Recommendation to walk easily on the ramparts as they are slippery and to wear non-slip shoes.

Walked down to the Moorish Castle from Pena. Exhibits along the trail are interesting to read. Admission pre-purchased was fairly inexpensive. When inside it is amazing to reflect on how old these walls are and to imagine what life was like so many years ago. We are from North America so have a hard time imagining anything more than 600 years old. It is a great leg workout and I would say not worth doing if you are not fit enough to climb the walls or have a fear of heights. Well worth the visit.

We hiked up the Villa Sassetti Route after walking to and from Quinta de Regularia. There were a combination of stone steps and forest paths to reach the Castle in about an hour. We bought our tickets in advance, and were welcomed to gorgeous views over the rampart ruins. We had excellent weather midday! It was a bit busy there and no directional signs so some areas felt crowded and potentially unsafe with young children and no handrails. We then walked up to Pena Palace to view from the outside only (a separate pre-purchased ticket to enter the grounds) and took a car ride down for 5 euros since we had done a lot of walking in the heat! I think we made a good plan for the day with Quinta, Moorish Castle and foregoing Pena Palace Tour.

I've been several times now with visitors and this place never gets old, despite being REALLY old. The walk up to the castle is very pretty and winds it's way through what used to be an ancient village. Various excavation points along the way have nice explanations and give you a sense of who lived here and how. The castle walls themselves have a lot of steps to navigate, but the restoration is well done and the views are beautiful. Just note that the mountain often sits in the Sintra cloud, so bring an extra layer of clothing. It might be warm and sunny in Cascais, but cooler, windier, and damper on the mountain.

"The Moorish Castle" towers over the town of Sintra in a most picturesque manner. Dating back to the 8th century, the castle has been damaged by earthquakes and neglect over the centuries, but always rebuilt and restored. We didn't have time to climb up to the castle and explore its interior, but the ramparts and turrets are fabulous even viewed from the town.

So much better than Pena Palace. Most of the bus tours do not stop here so not as crowded. Not like a British castle (small with accommodation inside the outer walls) , more like a fortified hill. Lot of of ground to see and walls to walk on, with incredible views. Make sure to go to the highest point and look back at Pena Palace which is even higher and right at the top of the next hill. There is a very small cafe serving snacks, more like a kiosk. It's about 2 min walk from the Pena park entrance but about another 1km before you actually reach the castle itself.

Built way up on top of a mountain with a position to protect the city and the countryside, this medieval castle is an impressive sight. It is up above all else and one wonders how they managed to get the building materials way up there in ancient times. It takes a while for your tour to get to the top.