Castle of Monsanto

What a special place. This whole town was an unexpected and unbelievable place to discover. Monsanto, Portugal, is an absolute gem!

The town's historic charm and the breathtaking castle create an unforgettable experience. From the captivating cobblestone streets to the impressive fortress, every corner tells a story. Monsanto is a must-visit destination. Five stars without a doubt!

What a magnificent place! If you're in this region of Portugal, you must stop and see this incredible village. Pro tip: comfortable sturdy shoes. It is straight uphill for about 30- 40 minutes of walking to get to the castle. The bonus bring your water bottle and hydrate and not worry about bathrooms. There are many on route to the castle.

Very rural but very nice, good sunsets, parking for cars and motorhomes (1 or 2) most of the way up. Toilets at the post office just down from parking and a few shops and cafes etc. Not usual too bust even in peak season. Walk up through the town into the castle isn't to bad for the fit and able. You can walk around the walls but not for the faint of heart.

After the reconquest of the Tagus in 1149, part of the effort to defend it fell to the Order of the Temple. To this end, they traveled up the Tagus and, arriving in what is now Beira Baixa, they turned northeast following the river Ponsul, where they built several castles to form a barrier to Muslim incursions. Monsanto, donated in 1165, was one of the first places fortified - over a previous Muslim castle - as part of this operation, although in 1172 it was returned to the Crown. This Romanesque phase, which is now vaguely recognizable in the citadel, was followed by a major Gothic reform campaign between the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the following century, completely enclosing the summit. It was spared work during the Restoration War, but was remodeled during the 19th century. Extensive restoration work in the 1940s and 50s brought the castle back to its current form, sometimes debatably.

Lovely and less busy than usual. Walked up to the east entrance instead of climbing up the stairs if the west entrance from the village

Simply beautiful. It is worth the drive to central Portugal to experience this castle and the cute town of Monsanto.

Come first thing in the morning and avoid the tour buses. You’ll be rewarded with the most majestic views, incredible landscapes, and compelling ancient architecture that makes you explore.

There are no safety guard rails throughout the castle so you explore and roam similar to
what it might be like hundreds of years ago.

It is open 24/7 so you can explore it at night but the morning sunrise views are the best

Beautiful views from the top. Unique location and history of this place is really interesting. Steep and tough climb up there but its totally worth it. A bit more trees for the shade would be amazing during sunny days.

Lovely place. Nice walk and gorgeous views

Great views towards Spain and over Monsanto also the dam in the distance. Carpark half way up with great view point, coaches park at the bottom and have a long walk up hill. The route up is cobblestone then becomes more rocky as you go up towards the castle. Great views from the top though. Well worth the climb.

Beautiful spot but very steep climb and no access for camping cars. Best to park in lovely square in relva and walk 30 minutes.

This is a place any tourist should not leave out apart from the infirm or disabled.
Bring your own food and water because there is no shops at the castle.
Make sure you wear trainers or shoes but if like my partner you are ok in flip flops go ahead but be warned the climb is steep and under foot you may find the paths rather loose.
The views are stunning and even though i struggled somewhat i msde it and it was well worth the hike with many shaded areas next to or under the gigantic bolders.
From our home we see Monsanto but never did i imagine that one day i would get up there.
Today we had to visit the junta but it was closed so instead we went up to castelo de Monsanto. Fantastic and so very well worth every step.

The most Portuguese hamlet in Portugal! :) Place that must be put on list "To visit" !
Feels like hobbit village if you look on architecture,houses made and carved in stone. Beautiful views. Many places to climb . Village itself dates back to 1174. Castle left in ruines. But very charming place.

Completely amazing! Definitely get out of your way and come check it. The rock formations are breath taking and the village, castle and stories built on top of it make it a complete package. The walk up is challenging and terrain is quite irregular.

Beautiful a d worth the climb. Purchased GPS driven audio tour which made the visit so much better.

Beautiful view of the mountains. Make sure you take comfortable shoes and a lot of water to hydrate in the summer. Then, have some traditional Portuguese lunch at Petiscos e Granitos restaurant.

Monsanto was the best place we visited in Portugal! What an amazing town with incredible views. We woke up early to see the sunrise from up near the castle. We must have stared at the views for hours while birds rode the thermals right at eye level. Gorgeous place.

Fantastic place. I'm surprised this is not really featured as a destination. It is a hike, as it's a UNESCO protected site, with limited access by vehicle to a certain point.. the views, the idea, the concept for its time. All amazing.

Voted the most Portuguese village by the Portuguese themselves, Monsanto is a real gem worth the climb.

It's a picturesque village full of history. Created by the Romans, it moved from a a civilisation to another through the years and has influence from the Romans, the Mores and the European mediaval era.

Monsanto has been restored in the 1940's and has been very well kept. All houses are made from local black rocks and are very picturesque.

I recommend to climb to the castle ruins from where you can enjoy 360 views.

One of the most magical places I've been to in the world, definitely the best thing to do in Portugal. Quite a trek from our hotel and takes you through some quite wild countryside. Not much parking to get to the village of Monsanto, about 15 cars or so. Then there's plenty of pretty sites to see, loads of vantage points for photos. Couple of restaurants and cafes are open but these wernt that special.

Best thing to see is continue the walk up to the castle (yes that steep path) and there's an amazing viewpoint right at the top. Quite a magical place, not a person in sight.

Unforgettable, magical, special… Stayed here for hours. My favorite part of my Portugal adventure.