Portugal! Sintra -- part 3: The Castle Ruins Of The Moors

Our other major adventure of the day took us to the Castle of the Moors, which involved a fairly decent climb up the side of a mountain. We were rewarded with spectacular views of the valley below... The center of Sintra near by, and the great expanse of the Sintra region beyond, all the way to the Altantic Ocean! It was glorious up there, only rather cold and windy! 

Here is a snipet about this particular historical site:

The Castle of the Moors (Castelo dos Mouros) is a medieval castle located in the municipality of Sintra, about 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Lisbon. Built by the Moors in the 8th and 9th centuries (during the period of Muslim Iberia), it was an important strategic point during the Reconquista, and was taken by Christian forces after the fall of Lisbon in 1147. It was the central place in a territory that was primarily agricultural, and which was necessary to protect its population.


Not much left of it besides the walls... but the view made it all worthwhile, and the structures that ARE remaining are spectacular! 



View of the National Palace below, and the surrounding buildings of the historical center of Sintra. 





You can see the Pena Palace from the top of the mountain! We did not have time to go visit it...maybe next time?!

Diego, at the beginning of MANY steps we ascended to reach the castle ruins at the top! 


A lovely villa we passed by on the way up the mountain...no clue about its history, or whether or not it is still occupied. I could easily live here as well! 






Beautiful driftwood sculpture of dolphins....

Parting shot as we make our way out of Sintra: 

Diego and I share the special pastry of the region...
"No visit is complete without trying Travesseiro, their famous pillow shaped pastry (the word literally means pillow!)"














 





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