Sitting high on a hill overlooking the center of Lisbon, the Moorish Saint George Castle (or Castelo de São Jorge or Saint George Castle) looks exactly how a castle should look, with its imposing ramparts offering spectacular views over the city.
Fortifications have existed on the site for thousands of years–at least back to the 6th century–and the current distinctive walls date to the 14th century.
It dominates the Lisbon skyline, and from its ramparts it offers spectacular views out over the city of Lisbon and the Tagus.
Photos of Saint George Castle
A view of Monastery of São Vicente de Fora through the ramparts. The Tagus River is in the distance.
A museum inside the walls of Castelo de Sao Jorge displays artifacts recovered from archeological exploration on the site.
Pottery artifacts on display in the museum.
What to Know Before You Go
You can walk up to the castle from downtown Lisbon, but be prepared for a steep climb. You can also get one of the tuk tuks, although not all drivers will be interested in a one-way taxi run.
As you can see from the photos, you’re able to walk up on the ramparts. As you’d expect, the stones are well-worn and can be uneven and slippery, and there aren’t many safety railings, so it’s definitely somewhere to exercise caution, especially with young kids or anyone who isn’t sure-footed.
Tickets are required. The ticket office is right at the entrance. Tickets are single-entry–if you leave and come back you’ll need a new ticket.
The grounds are open 9am to 9pm from March through October and 9am to 6pm through November until the end of February. You can confirm the current hours here.
Visits are entirely self-guided, and once you’ve paid for your ticket you can wander around at your leisure. There’s a small museum that displays some of the artifacts recovered from the various excavations of the site.
There is a nice restaurant (ie. dressy) that uses some of the historic buildings, the Casa do Leão. If the weather’s nice there are tables outside with a spectacular view over the city. Reservations are recommended.
In the warmer months, there are mobile wine carts along the main walkway where you can buy a glass of wine and drink it while enjoying the wonderful view out over the city.
Where to Next?
Travel Advice for Portugal
You can find the latest U.S. Department of State travel advisories and information for Portugal (such as entry visa requirements and vaccination requirements) here.
The British and Australian governments offer their own country-specific travel information. You can find the British Government's travel advice for Portugal here and the Australian Government's here.
Health & Vaccinations
The CDC makes country-specific recommendations for vaccinations and health for travelers. You can find their latest information for Portugal here.
Guidebooks for Portugal
If you're looking for a guidebook to make the most of your visit, these are some of the most popular ones currently for Portugal. Some are available in both paper and e-book formats.
- Fodor's Travel Guides (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Lonely Planet (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- DK Eyewitness (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Steves, Rick (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Travel Insurance For Your Trip to Portugal
I never travel without travel insurance, and I've run into several situations where I've had to make claims. I consider it essential.
But shopping for travel insurance can be a pain and confusing. Thankfully, there are some travel insurance comparison sites that show you a wide range of plans, make it easy to compare coverage, and can save you money at the same time. And the coverage can be much better tailored to your specific needs than the checkbox offering at travel booking sites or through your credit card.
These are some good places to shop for travel insurance for your next trip to Portugal :
Hopefully, you won't need it, but if something goes wrong, you'll sure be glad you have it!
