Almourol Castle

Almourol Castle stands on a granite outcrop in the middle of the Tagus, about 310 m long and 75 m wide. Gualdim Pais, Master of the Knights Templar in Portugal, had it rebuilt on the remains of earlier structures; an inscription above the main gate gives the date 1171. The castle has an irregular rectangular plan with two enclosures, nine tall round towers on the outer wall and a three-storey keep. After the Templars were dissolved in the early 14th century it passed to the Order of Christ. It has been a national monument since 1910 and was extensively restored in the 1940s and 1950s.

The boat crossing leaves from the landing directly opposite the castle and takes only a few minutes; it is the only way to reach the island. It can be cancelled when the river is high or the weather is bad, so allow some leeway. From Lisbon it is about an hour and a half by car.