CountryThe most famous castle in Portugal is Belém Tower, ranked #40 of 9,079 in the world — followed by Pena Palace and Castle of Saint George.
The Castle Map atlas charts 134 castles, 38 fortresses, 25 palaces & châteaux and 15 ruins in Portugal. They span more than 25 centuries — from Castle of Alvor (founded c. 650 BC) to Condes de Castro Guimarães Palace (1900). Every one is plotted with its photo and story on the interactive castle map of Portugal.
How many castles are there in Portugal?
Map of castles in Portugal
On the map they cluster thickest around Santarém — 66 within a 100 km day trip, then Vila Franca de Xira (56) and Lisbon (50). The northernmost is Castle of Melgaço, the southernmost Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Conceição do Ilhéu — about 1,300 km apart.
Planning a visit? Day-trip guides: Castles near Lisbon · Castles near Sintra · Castles near Vila Franca de Xira · Castles near Torres Vedras · Castles near Santarém · Castles near Guimarães — and 12 more in the city index.
By region: Castles in the Alentejo.
See them on the map →When they were built
Of the 212 landmarks mapped in Portugal, 150 carry a sourced founding date. Most were founded in the 12th century — 26 of them. 95 predate 1500 and 20 were built after 1700.
