Tuesday 8th May 2018
On our journey north from Ferrel on the Algarve we had spotted Aljezur and the ruins of a castle on top of a hill. It was a 45 minute drive from Zambujeira so we drove back to pay it a visit.
The old town sits on one side of the Aljezur River and dates back to the tenth century when the Moors first settled in Aljezur. Much of the old town remains fixed in the past and the surrounding countryside is very agricultural.
Following a period in history when the town was rife with malaria, the Bishop of Algarve ordered the inhabitants to move to the other side of the river to escape the disease. Hence the two halves of the town evolved.
We parked up close to the river and headed over a small footbridge into the old market town of whitewashed houses and cobbled streets. There was a lot of renovation work happening on many of the old buildings, which seemed to be for tourist accommodation.
The climb up to the Moorish castle was a steep climb. We chose to walk through the narrow streets but there was also a cobbled road running at the back of the town which could also be used.
Entry to the ruins was free although not much of the original castle remains but the views across the valley and beyond were beautiful.
After a few photo opportunities we made our way back through the village and followed the recommended walking route by the river.
Unfortunately this walk didn’t take us along the river but along the farmers’ fields eventually finishing in the car park close to the market where the footbridge crosses the river. It definitely wasn’t the most picturesque option.
We wouldn’t say this had been one of our most memorable visits but we had surely benefitted from the exercise.