Historic site Castro Marim
Castro Marim Castle & Fort
Two fortresses face each other across the small town of Castro Marim: the medieval castle, first seat of the Order of Christ after the Templars, and the seventeenth-century Fort of São Sebastião on the opposite hill. Between them lie the town, the salt pans and the Guadiana, with Spain on the far bank. The walls look over the salt marsh reserve where flamingos feed and flor de sal is still raked by hand.
Good to know
- Getting thereThe castle is ticketed and reached by a short climb from the town centre.
- Best time to visitLate August, when the castle stages the town's medieval days; otherwise, late afternoon light over the salt pans.
- Close toCastro MarimCastro Marim sits on the last low hills before the Guadiana meets the sea, looking across the river to Ayamonte in Spain and south over salt pans towards Vila Real de Santo António. Two fortifications frame the town: the thirteenth-century castle, which became the first headquarters of the Order of Christ after 1319, when the successor to the Knights Templar was established here, and the seventeenth-century Fort of São Sebastião on the hill opposite. Around them spreads the Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim e Vila Real de Santo António, the first nature reserve created in Portugal: a landscape of marsh and working salinas where flamingos, spoonbills and avocets feed, and where salt and flor de sal are still raked by hand. The town below the walls is small and whitewashed, with cafés around the church square. In late August the castle hosts the Dias Medievais, one of the country's biggest medieval fairs, which fills the town for several days of markets, jousting and costumed crowds. Castro Marim suits people who trade beaches for history and birdlife: the sands of Monte Gordo and Altura are minutes away when you want them, and Spain is just across the bridge.
- In the nature guideCastro Marim Salt Marsh Reserve
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Castro Marim Castle & Fort FAQs
- Where is Castro Marim Castle & Fort?
- Castro Marim Castle & Fort is by Castro Marim, in the Algarve, Portugal.
- How do you get to Castro Marim Castle & Fort?
- The castle is ticketed and reached by a short climb from the town centre.
- When is the best time to visit Castro Marim Castle & Fort?
- Late August, when the castle stages the town's medieval days; otherwise, late afternoon light over the salt pans.
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