Castelo de Sesimbra

Castelo de Sesimbra

Castelo de Sesimbra
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  • Pocas
    Luxembourg City, Luxembourg4,104 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Magnificent views
    Very beautiful, well-maintained castle, the azulejo-tiled church is magnificent. You can easily tour the ramparts with children, the views of the city and the sea are superb. Also take a trip to the cemetery which is worth the visit.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 1, 2024
  • Paul B
    York, United Kingdom16 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth walking up for the views and inside the church.
    Walked up from Sesimbra, about 45 mins. Interesting history and forth a visit mainly just wall & battlements left. The church in the centre is nice. Had a beer and tried local FARINHA TORRADA which I enjoyed at the café. Great panoramic of Sesimbra.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 26, 2024
  • César Augusto PR
    Porto, Portugal255 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A gold mirage for the Póvoa Ribeirinha...
    Under the management of the House of Sesimbra, rises altar over the Villa, well preserved and culturally alive, this national monument! Deprived of its military function, the castle of Sesimbra is a must stop for visitors to the Villa. When you access through the Road of Argéis, it is to see it imposing with the wall cutting the mountain to the bottom. The night view is, astonishingly, delicious! We started our visit to the castle, from a snacking park, named João David, which pleasantly surprised us by the cleanliness and existing equipment for family enjoyment. Climbing through a pedestrian path, marginalized by vegetation that helps to protect from the canicula, we access the castle through Porta do Sol. Then walk through the walled fence, by the towers and barracks, by the church and statues... But the location and altitude make it an excellent viewpoint over the Villa, the beaches and the vast sea. With support structures - wc, cafe or exhibitions, this space is a welcoming and stimulating place for a well spent day in the family. What are you waiting for? Go to the castle and inspire... breathe... dream and suck. Be happy!
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 1, 2024
  • Saskia
    Heidelberg, Germany37 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful castle with stunning views
    The castle of Sesimbra is a beautiful one and has stunning views. We took a taxi up there as we had grandparents and a little one traveling with us (it cost about 8€ and the driver even gave us a bit of history about the castle). We walked back down to the town which was steep but manageable. Some advice: keep a good eye on your children as on top of the castle there is no handrail or anything to stop the little ones from falling.
    Visited November 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written January 11, 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles719 reviews
Excellent
275
Very good
351
Average
82
Poor
8
Terrible
3

RoxLima
Lima, Peru525 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Solo
Uphill small castle, the best way to visit is to reach it by cab if you don't have a car since has a quite steep trekking path with stairs (or probably you can go walking by the road). The castle is a small one, typical portuguese fortress style, simple but it has a nice view of the city and the ocean. Should be amazing for a sunset with a good cup of coffee. There was a night event when I visited and it seemed to be a good one (I visited at the morning time). As mentioned it is more like a fortress since inside only the church remains. There are plenty of seating so probably a picnic under the shadow of the trees will be a good idea.
Written May 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MrsPiket
Rotterdam, The Netherlands4,004 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Couples
The Castelo de Sesimbra, also known as Castle of the Moors, is a medieval castle on a dominant cliff high above Vila de Setubál, a natural harbour not far from Cape Espichel.

During the Muslim occupation of Iberia in the 9th century it was known as Alcáçova. Conquered in 1165 by the first King of Portugal, it was occupied in 1191 by the Almohads, Moroccan Berbers, who almost entirely destroyed the castle. The final reconquest took place in 1199 with the help of Frankish Crusaders.

Given its strategic importance, enlargements to the castle were carried out immediately after the reconquest and throughout the Middle Ages. In the 14th century a second reinforcement of the walls was made and the West Tower was built. This being needed as a lookout to identify Barbary pirates. The castle was already in a bad condition when it was effectively ruined by the earthquake of 1755. Conservation work was carried out between 1933 and 1945 and in 1998.

The walls can be easily explored on foot and there is a cafeteria. When we visited the castle and the church, the exhibition was closed.
Written April 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TravelerMJY
United States214 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
Beautiful vantage over the city and to the sea. Peaceful area, easy to manage with children. Depending on your appetite, you could budget two to four hours exploring the wall, church, small graveyard, and vantage points. Self-guided wandering is best. Worth stipping by.
Written August 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marylene S
Maputo, Mozambique601 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
A Moorish Castle dating back the 12th century, relatively well preserved/restored, could be a sufficiently attractive place to visit for residents and tourists alike. But there are also 2 other important reasons to make the excursion to the top of the hill: the visit of the church "Igreja de Santa Maria" , located within the perimeter of the Castle, and its exceptional inside decoration, as well the Sesimbra unique view from the Castle battlements. The Castle can be reached by foot, by the bravest and the most enduring, and by car. Entrance and parking are free.
Written March 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jeff K
North Miami, FL30 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
I am a castle nut, so any castle is a good castle.
This one is nice as you have very walkable wall.
You also have a great vies of the ocean.
There is a little cafe to grab a coffee or a quick lunch.
Parking is easy.
Written April 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Riles812011
Adelaide, Australia76 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Solo
Really good place to visit if doing a day trip out of Lisbon. The area is really well maintained with a really lovely church inside the walls which is still in use today. The views from the walls are great and the day I visited it was extremely clear.
Written March 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jacky D
Cascais, Portugal494 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2016 • Couples
The castle is impressive and from the ramparts you get marvellous views down to Sesimbra and out to sea. It is well worth a quick visit. I believe that the walk up from the town takes under an hour. We drove as we were intending to visit other locations. We followed the signage and parked at the bottom of the castle and walked up the path. The signage did not indicate that you could go right up to the castle by car. Unfortunately, we returned to find that our car had been broken into so as it was a rental car we then had to contact the police and then go to the station to get a report for insurance purposes. The police were not surprised by our case and told us that it is a regular occurrence & that tourists cars are targeted with the back window being broken so that the boot can be accessed.

It's a pity that there is no signage advising to beware of thieves.

The police advised that we leave the back seat down so that the thieves can see that it is empty.

Evidently Cabo do Espichel is also a prime target.
Written December 19, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KathleenR_28
Port Dover, Canada6,745 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2014 • Solo
While walking on the streets of the town proper, I happened to see the Castelo high up on a hill. So I went to the Tourism office and obtained a map and asked how I can get to the Castle. I was very glad to learn that there was a trail and I didn't have to walk the paved streets.

It took me a few minutes to get out of the town proper to get to the trail head. I was surprised that on this fine sunny day in November, there was no other soul on the trails but me. It was quite a pleasant hike ... the climb up was not tiring at all, around 250 meters up. The trail itself was maintained except for some sections where there was some litter. I have included pictures of where you need to turn (don't go past a ruined wall with red/yellow markings. Look up to your right and that is where you need to turn).

From the top of the hill, one can see the town of Sesimbra down below. Very nice! As I entered the fort, I saw a lot of people who preferred to travel to this place by car. I took my time going around and taking pictures. I enjoyed walking close to the walls and even scrambling down the broken steps.
Written November 6, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MariaFrenkel
Amsterdam372 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2013 • Family
The Castelo de Sesimbra can be seen from a distance towering over the small town of the same name. Go for a nice stroll of the grounds and enjoy the great vista's from this medieval castle.
In May there was ample parking space and no fee to visit. Combine with a visit to the Praia de California, the sandy beach and have some grilled sardines in the village.
Written May 6, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kevin Y
Azeitao, Portugal48 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Beautiful views and a wonderful chapel. The castle walls and cemetery is all that remains in this medieval castle with a wonderful chapel and a small bar on the site making good coffees. There is parking on site and It is worth visiting
Written July 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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