The castle sits on the highest of Lisbon’s hills, above Alfama, its walls and towers giving the widest view over the city and the river. It is Moorish in origin, much rebuilt, and the walk up to it is part of the visit.
The castle
Inside the walls are gardens, the ramparts you can walk, a small archaeological site and a camera obscura. The draw is the position — a full sweep from the bridge round to the river mouth, with the Baixa grid laid out directly below.
Getting up there
The climb through Alfama or Mouraria is steep but interesting — stairways, tiled houses, small squares. Tram 28 passes close by, as does bus 737 from the Baixa; there is also a chain of public lifts through the Mouraria that takes some of the hill out of it.
Good to know
- Timed tickets in high season — book ahead or go early
- The viewpoints just outside the walls, Santa Luzia and the Portas do Sol, are free and nearly as good
- Little shade inside — not a midday visit in summer
- From our side: ferry to Terreiro do Paço or Cais do Sodré, then the climb or the 28