Monsanto Castle

I won’t go heavily into the history of the Monsanto castle except to say that there is evidence that humans have lived in this area of Portugal near the Spanish border since Paleolithic times and artifacts have been found that are Roman, Visigoth and Arabian. Documents tell that King Afonso Henriques took Monsanto from the Moors in 1165 and granted it to the Templar monks, who built a fortified castle on the site.

We found it to be an incredible place to get to and explore. We were the only tourists on the site. No fee to get in, no attendants or guards, no security fences or walls. Haha. If you fell, it would be your fault, or stupidity. We love it there. A castle like no other.Read more