Castle of Silves

Mileage: 162103

After a day of extensive hiking and enjoying the sea, we planned to explore a bit of the local history today. Just a few minutes' drive away was Silves, known for its well-preserved fortress. The castle was built from the reddish sandstone of the region, and its crenellated wall with several half-height towers could be spotted from afar.

We parked Gary in the town at the foot of the hill on which the castle stood and ascended through the narrow streets of Silves, climbing steps to reach the fortress.

Directly in front of the fortress stood the former cathedral of Silves. From the 13th century until the relocation of the diocese to Faro in 1577, it had served as the bishop's church of the city. The church was one of the oldest examples of Gothic architecture in the southern Iberian Peninsula, which had been occupied by the Moors long before.

Before the gate of the castle, we were greeted by a life-size bronze statue of King Sancho I. The city and its fortress had been conquered and recaptured many times over the centuries; sometimes the Muslim Berber troops held the upper hand, and at other times the region was reclaimed by Christian Crusaders. The origins of the fortress cannot be firmly established but are likely to date back to Roman times. In the 12th century, Sancho I began to convert the castle into a stronghold. After the final reconquest - known as the Reconquista - in 1242, the castle and the city came temporarily under the control of the Order of Santiago. Beginning in 1248, the Portuguese king Alfonso III took power and advanced the construction of the castle to its present form. By the 15th century, the Rio Arade was slowly silting up, and the city and fortress lost significance. Surprisingly, the enormous cistern of the castle continued to supply the city with water until the 1980s. The underground pillar structure carved into the rock could hold up to 1300 cubic meters of water and currently housed an exhibition on conservation.

After gathering a wealth of information, we treated ourselves to coffee, ice cream, and cake at the castle café. Then we returned to Gary, with whom we headed to our next campsite, only interrupted by a short stop for shopping.

We chose a site near Pêra. Here, Belgian artist Mikki and Dutch entrepreneur Arno had created a small paradise for campers from a barren piece of land since 2014. After selecting a spot and checking in, we first went swimming in the pool and then took a shower. At the campsite, we also met our acquaintances with whom we had spent the evening in Nazaré, and it was only natural that after dinner, we sat on the bar's terrace with several other Germans to enjoy a drink or two.