During the winter, visitors may put aside walks on the beach to avoid the cold wind. However, it is the perfect time to explore some of the most magnificent fortresses in the Algarve and learn a little bit more about the history of the region.

History lesson

The Algarve was always a region that the people who occupied the south of Portugal found very important. Whether for its fertile lands, which could have crops that were impossible to grow in other regions, or even for its easy maritime access and proximity to the North of Africa. When it comes to the castles, the Moorish occupation had a great impact on them, as most of the castles were built when the Moors occupied the Algarve. When the Portuguese Kings later conquered the Algarve, some castles were adapted to the needs of the Christian people living in the region.

The Portuguese flag has seven castles in its designs, and some people believe that they are the Algarve castles, which were conquered during the Reconquista. This shows how important these buildings are for Portuguese history.

Silves Castle

Silves Castle is one of the most famous castles in the Algarve. Built with iconic red sandstone walls, it is one of the most well-preserved buildings in the region. Constructed under Moorish engineering, the castle has thick walls and spectacular rectangular towers. There, it is possible to visit the large cisterns that saved water for the village.


Silves was once a Moorish capital and a Portuguese main town as well. It marked the conquering of the Algarve, in 1249, when King Sancho I’s army managed to expel the Moors from the region, after conquering the castle, which is now an important national monument.


Castro Marim Castle

Constructed near the Guadiana River, the Castle of Castro Marim was an important building to protect the Algarve’s eastern border. It served the region both for military reasons and settlement facilities, and it is believed to be imprinted as one of the seven castles of the Portuguese flag.


Constructed after the Reconquista, the castle has no Moorish architectural heritage, which can be seen by the round towers. The Castro Marim Castle was built during King Afonso III’s reign, around 1274. However, the fence that contours the hill where the castle is placed, was built in 1279, during King Dinis’ reign, after losing the village of Ayamonte to the Spanish King.

Aljezur Castle

Located on a hill, Aljuzer Castle may be the smallest out of the others mentioned; however, it has significant historical interest.


The Moors were responsible for the construction of this castle, during the 10th century, choosing to make a simple rectangular fortress, with two main towers. Geographically, it is located in a place where now can be seen a river, that was used to plant rice.


Aljezur Castle is one of the castles that may be represented in the Portuguese flag, but the information is not corroborated by historical documents.

Loulé Castle

Loulé is another Algarve town with a Moorish castle, built in the 13th century. Located in the city centre, this castle highlights the architecture of the Moorish occupation, with three magnificent towers that will amaze every visitor. Loulé Castle was an important building during the Reconquista and is currently a museum that showcases the history of Loulé.


Faro Castle

Although located in a place that is now urbanised according to modern times, the Castle of Faro maintains the great walls and gates, preserving the historical traces of the building.

Constructed in the 13th century, the castle went through different changes, namely during the 20th century, when it became a beer factory, after being the house of captains, by 1621, when the Spanish monarchy was ruling in Portugal.

Honourable mentions

There are other castles in the Algarve, that deserve to be highlighted. The Algarve was a sought after area for the various people that occupied the region, therefore there was the need to create fortresses that would protect the population.

Thus, some other castles were constructed, like in Lagos, where the castle is located close to the city centre, being visited by all those who pass there. Places like Estômbar, in Lagoa municipality, have ruins of a castle that is represented in the Portuguese flag, along with the castles of Albufeira, Paderne, and the Fortresses of Sagres and Cacela-a-Velha. Still in Lagoa municipality, the castle of Ferragudo is an important landmark in the municipality, which is located by the River Arade.


Although not proven by documents, the thought that the castles in the Portuguese flags were located in the Algarve, represents how important the region was and how much the Portuguese army fought to conquer the region.

In the past, all of these castles were important to the country for military purposes, but also for economic reasons, where storage and trades could be made inside the buildings. These castles are witnesses to the scariest, but victorious moments of the Algarve history. Some of them, besides being open to the public the whole year, offer a period representation of what living during the Medieval times was like, the most famous being the Feira Medieval de Silves, which usually takes place during the summer.

Author

Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463. 

Bruno G. Santos