Built by the Almoravid Arabs in the 11^th Century, the Silves Castle is a reflection of the splendour attained by the Moors in the Algarve.

Declared a national monument in 1910, it is today the finest monument, and more importantly, the best preserved castle in the Algarve.  This impressive castle – built out of the red sandstone of the region and lath and plaster – is situated at the top of the hill, surrounded by a curtain of outer walls and eleven turrets.

The gigantic main door, facing Medina, is protected by two towers and a guard house.  Cut into the northern wall, there is a small door, called the “the door of treachery”, which is an object of curiosity not only for its name, but also because it leads directly out of the castle.

Inside, there is an outstandingly restful garden and an underground food store, which used to be granaries in Moorish times, with small openings at ground level.  The Moorish Cistern measuring 10 metres high and with four ceilings on columns, and the Dogs’ Cistern, a 60-metre deep well are reminiscent of stories from 1001 Arabian Nights.  

A visit not to be missed, full of fragments from history enabling the visitor to imagine life as it would have been a thousand years ago.