Hiking to the Famous Castle of Moors in Sintra

Looking to explore Sintra by foot? To us, there’s no better way to check out the usual tourist spots in an alternative way. Hiking in Sintra National Park to all the castles is the way to do it in our opinion!

It’s such a fun way to experience a new place. You get to walk and hike and see all the things you usually wouldn’t see while still experiencing the popular spots. We’ve taken the touristy approach before and taken the 434 bus to all the castles in Sintra which was super convenient we must say.

This time around we wanted to switch it up a bit and hike around Sintra. So we switched it up and went on foot to the Castle of Moors.

In this post, we’re going to share our off-the-beaten-path approach to exploring this beautiful Castle of Moors in Sintra National Park!

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Everything you need to know about hiking in Sintra to the Castle of Moors

The hike from Sintra to the Castle of Moors starts as soon as you get off the train from Lisbon (Lisbon to Sintra train info here). It may seem a little overwhelming and touristy as you get off the train but it quiets down later. When you first get to Sintra you’ll see all the taxis, busses, and all the tourist info but once you’re on the trail that’s all gone.

Soon enough you’ll be in the forest up to the Castle of Moors. A lot of people do day trips from Lisbon to Sintra (we have multiple times now). So hiking up to the Castle of Moors is a good way to get away from the over-crowdedness of Sintra and into the quiet nature.

You will more than likely see other people as you hike to the Castle of Moors. It’s definitely not going to be nearly as crowded as if you take the 434 bus in Sintra though.

The path up to the castle is very well marked. We often get a little lost (or a lot lost lol) when we hike in new countries so we’re here to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes as we usually do! The area isn’t big and if you get lost you’ll end up on the right path soon enough but it’s still nice to know where you’re going.

Practical information about the hike up to Castle of Moors

Distance: 4.8 km return / 3 miles return
Elevation: 281 m / 921 ft. elevation gain
Type: In and out trail
Length: 2-3 hours return (longer if you continue to Pena Palace)
Difficulty: Moderate
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Click here to see a map of the hike from Sintra to Castle of Moors.

Here’s a picture of the beginning of the trail up to Castle of Moors

One thing we love about hiking in Sintra is that as soon as you get off the train you literally have endless possibilities for places to explore. Even though Pena Palace is the iconic thing to see in Sintra, the hike up to the Castle of Moors is just so beautiful that we have to give it some credit. Sintra is totally worth visiting too! 😉

You start by walking through the touristy part of Sintra to actually get to the trailhead where the hike starts. It’s a nice way to get a feel for the city and stop by some of the local shops. You can try out some of the local sweets and deserts!

If you’re lucky you can even grab a Pastel de Nata on the way. They are one of Portugal’s most famous deserts and somehow we end up eating at least one on every hike we do. Whoops! If you don’t know what that is then you have to see a photo of a Pastel de Nata because you can’t miss it while travelling in Portugal!

Anyways, less dessert talk and more hiking! Once you’re on the trail to the Castle of Moors, any chance you get to follow the “yellow and red” trail signs, do it. They will lead you in the right direction and hopefully, make sure you get to the Castle of Moors. If you don’t see the signs, you can always go back to this map ​​that leads you from Sintra to the Moorish Castle up in the Sintra hills.

How to get from Sintra to Castle of Moors

From the train station Igreja de Santa Maria

This first bit of the trail follows the main road up to the main part of the forest where you’ll hike. We decided to get away from the main road and hike through Parque de Liberdade first. It’s a nice way to get a bit more off the beaten path and away from all the crowds. 

There are also some great opportunities for pictures in the Parque de Liberdade. The park is so green and beautiful and to be fair the whole area is but it’s still worth checking out.

Through the park, we went straight and up the stairs. Then we took a left towards a little booth from where a lady told us to turn right through the gate (don’t worry we created a map to follow). Go straight through the gate and continue in the same direction on the road. Here’s the the map you can follow to make it a bit easier .

Once you’re out of the park, follow the “yellow and red” signs that direct you towards the church of Santa Maria where the trailhead begins. Once you get to Santa Maria Church you will see a proper trail that leads into the Sintra forest.

There were a few times we almost got lost but the signage markers saved us. Just keep your eyes out for yellow and red markers and you’ll find your way no problem. Then out of nowhere, this cute little church will pop up and from there the real hike begins!

From Igreja de Santa Maria to Castle of Moors entrance

From Igreja de Santa Maria, the hike up to the Castle of Moors becomes easy to follow. Maps, signs, and even info maps will start to pop up all over the place. It’s not the most common way to get to the Castle of Moors since most travellers and tourists usually take the 434 bus up to the castle walls and Pena Palace but it is still pretty common – hence all the info maps.

Outdoor lovers like you and us love to find more off-the-beaten-path ways to get to the touristy spots and this hike is perfect for it.

After a short walk up the forest, you start to come across the first “outer wall”. This wall was used to protect the Castle of Moors back in the day. Once you go through the walls, you will go zig-zagging through the forest trails. These trails will lead you to the entrance of this famous UNESCO site in Sintra. 

There are multiple trails that go up, and the majority of them will take you to the entrance. It is hard to get lost and there will be signs along the way to help guide you.

Exploring the Castle of Moors 

This is the highlight of this hike in Sintra! If you get the chance, try to start this hike early in the morning so you can have Castle of Moors more to yourself. After 10 am and for the rest of the day all the castles in Sintra get super busy. 

One thing we really recommend, no matter if you come early or not, is buying your entrance ticket beforehand on your phone. You can purchase a ticket for the Castle of Moors here so you can skip the line at the entrance (which can be quite long). A ticket costs €8 no matter if you buy it on your phone or at the entrance, so you might as well save yourself the wait.

The Castle of Moors and the walls surrounding the outside of the castle are worth walking on. You can walk all along the perimeter of the wall and do a full loop of the castle walls. The whole area really feels like you’re in a Game of Thrones episode. There are plenty of viewpoints including a few really good ones of Pena Palace on the one side and then Sintra on the other.

The way we did it and the way we recommend is to walk clockwise around the wall so that you don’t have to walk on oncoming traffic the whole way. The wall is quite narrow so it gets a little hectic when you’re walking in the opposite direction of all the other tourists (peak hours there’s a lot of people up there). 

This Moorish Castle really blew us away and this hike alone was so worth it. It’s crazy thinking this castle dates back to the late 8th and early 9th century.

So if you’re considering whether visiting the Castle of Moors is worth it, our answer is yes! It is totally worth it because you get some really good views of Sintra and the whole national park. It’s so beautiful!

Heading back down to Sintra after exploring the Castle of Moors

There’s actually a few ways (hiking wise) back down to Sintra from the Castle of Moors. The easiest way is the same way you came up. It’s nice but obviously not as exciting as going another way down. But if you want the quickest and easiest way down then just go with that. 

If you’re up for a bit of an adventure then follow the signs that say “Pena Palace” when you exit the Castle of Moors. You can find the directions here.

It’s a little similar because you’re still in the Sintra Forest but you end up taking a different trail that offers some different views. This trial will also lead you to Sao Martinho which is the touristy area right beside Sintra.

Here you’ll find the famous church of Sao Martinho. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants around the church too so it’s a nice spot to have a little pit stop before the short walk back to Sintra. We got ourselves a coffee to go each and then we sat on the stairs in front of the church and enjoyed the views.

Plan for the day trip to Sintra and Castle of Moors

The first thing to look at is how you’re going to get to Sintra. If you’re staying in Lisbon like us (and most other tourists), then we recommend going by public transport. It’s super easy to get from Lisbon to Sintra by public transport and then you have the rest of the day to hike up to the Castle of Moors and even visit some of the other highlights in the area.

The next thing to consider before hiking up to the castle is checking the weather in Sintra. One thing to know is that it gets windy (like really windy) at the top. Both times we’ve been to Sintra it has been extremely windy. So bring a light jacket or something for the top!

It’s also a good idea to download the Mapy app to have the trail instructions on your phone (Mapy.CZ for android or Mapy.CZ for iPhone). Google Maps works for this trail as well but Mapy is just so much more detailed when it comes to hiking, and it’s free so why not?

Mapy.CZ is honestly our favourite hiking app and it has definitely saved our bums a few times when we got slightly lost. Especially on hikes in foreign countries where markings and signage weren’t as great.

What to bring on the Castle of Moors hike

Since you’ll be hiking and exploring the castle, you’ll likely be out and about for a while. So we recommend you bring a backpack with a bunch of stuff! We take everything in our Osprey bags and a few of the things we always carry are sunscreen, snacks, tripod, camera, and other small nik-naks that are useful on a hike..

It’s not that long of a hike but there isn’t really anywhere to stop for food and snacks besides right in Sintra. There might be a shop open at the top of the Castle of Moors but when we went, it was closed. So it’s best to bring a bag with all the goodies and essentials you may need.

Packing list for your hike up to the Castle of Moors:

• A water bottle! Our Lifestraw has become a lifesaver over the years. We fill it up with fresh mountain water on almost every hike. You can’t do that here but you can fill it up in the bathroom in the castle.
• Don’t forget to buy your entrance ticket to the Castle of Moors on your phone beforehand.
• An extra layer for the wind at the top!
• Sunscreen is a must! Portugal gets hoooot.
• Your camera to capture those amazing views.

Also, this is a great list of hiking gear that has some more inspiration for you!

Other related questions to the Castle of Moors and Sintra

Why was the Castle of Moors built?

The Castle of Moors was built to protect its people during the late 8th and early 9th century. The Castle of Moors was built during the period of the Muslim Iberia and castle helped protect their land, people, and agriculture.

Is the Moorish Castle worth visiting?

Yes, if you’re spending a day or two in Sintra the Castle of Moors is one of the highlights of Sintra. Along with the Pena Palace the Castle of Moors is one of the iconic places to visit. The views from the castle walls are incredible and you can even see Pena Palace from the top of the walls.

How much does it cost to visit the Castle of Moors?

To enter the Castle of Moors it costs 8$. You can buy a ticket for the Castle of Moors online so you don’t have to wait in line at the ticket office or else you can buy from the machine at the entrance of the castle.

You may also like…

• An Awesome Day Trip From Lisbon to Sintra
• Hiking the Beautiful Praia da Ursa Trail (From Cabo Da Roca)
• The Best Ways to Get From Lisbon to Sintra
• 6 Epic Locations for Digital Nomads in Portugal
• 5 of The Best Viewpoints in Lisbon

We hope you enjoy hiking up to this Moorish Castle in the Sintra National Park. Whether you’re coming for a day trip from Lisbon or living the van life and swinging by Sintra it’s an epic place to visit. We hope you love it.

There’s so much more to do in this part of Portugal so spend some time in this area and make the best of your travels through this beautiful country!

Have fun!

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