Fodor's Expert Review Castelo de Sesimbra

Sitting high above the city is the Castelo de Sesimbra, which was conquered in 1165 by Dom Afonso Henriques but fell back into the hands of the Moors until 1200. The castle lost importance and fell into disrepair during the next several hundred years until Dom João IV ordered that it be adapted for the use of artillery in 1648. Classified as a National Monument, reconstruction was done to restore it to its previous glory after the great earthquake of 1755. From Sesimbra, a steep marked walking trail leads up the side of the pine-covered hill to the castle grounds. Aside from the incredible views of the ocean and the city below, there is a chapel, a small museum, and a café with an outdoor patio where you can enjoy a gin and tonic or a bagaço (a clear Portuguese liquor) as the sun goes down.