Day 8: Elvas to Moura.....Castles, Castles and More Castles.

Today was bittersweet. The weather was beautiful, the roads were empty and the scenery and points of interest were outstanding, but all the good things about the day were tempered by the knowledge that this was my second to last day on the road.

Today was not scheduled to be a big day of riding at only just over 3 hours, but there were a number of points of interest that would make me deviate from the direct route to have a better look. The South Eastern part of The Alentejo is littered with castles in differing states of repair.

I gassed up and within 15 minutes spotted the castle of Juromenha from the road.

Castle of Juromenha from the roadside.

Although i did find a road into town, i could not find an easy way to get to the castle without parking and walking, so i decided to carry on.

Another 15 or 20 minute later i came to the town of Alandroal. The road to the castle was blocked and i did not even bother to try to find a way around the closed road. I just took this picture from just outside town and carried on.

Castle of Alandroal from below the town.

15 minutes later i spotted this castle from the road, whoever i am not even sure what the name of the castle is, as i did not see any roads turning toward its location, and carried on.

Unknown castle. Image taken from the roadside in passing.

Less than 10 minutes later i stopped to get a better look at this castle in the distance and to stretch my legs.

The Citadel of Monsaraz in the distance.

I knew that this was Monsaraz, as it was set as one of my points of interest for the day. The land in the foreground is very typical of the Alentejo region. Most of the food production in Portugal is centered in this region, and it is easy to see why.

The rich farmland of the Alentejo region.

When i pulled up outside of the walls of the citadel town, i should have known better after my cobblestone adventure in Marvao, but i foolishly followed the GPS instructions and rode into the town. At one point i had to climb a cobblestone alley with an incline so steep that i had problems keeping the front wheel of the bike on the ground. Somehow i made it to safe parking spot, and had a coffee to calm my nerves.

Temporarily safe on level ground.

Short coffee break right outside the castle.

View from the walls of the castle.

Another view from the wall.

View of the inside of the castle.

View of the citadel from safer ground after escaping the cobblestone streets.

Another view showing the size of the walled town.

One last vista before pulling out and carrying on.

I was on the road heading out from Monsaraz when i caught sight of the bridge i was going to be crossing shortly. As i suspected a quick stop in the middle of the bridge was a great spot to get one last shot of the walled citadel on the hill.

View of Monsaraz from the bridge across the lake.

I have no idea what castle this one is, but it was visible from the same spot on the bridge after turning 180 degrees.

Unknown castle on the far side of the lake from Monsaraz.

Before getting into Moura i grabbed this picture of the Castello de Noudar on the Rio Ardila as i crossed over the bridge.

Castello Noudar.

I pulled into Moura just after 2pm and headed for my hotel, which turned out to be a beautiful old hotel in the heart of town. Hotel de Moura is set in a 17th century building that has been tastefully renovated, but not altered. Really a charming hotel with a great courtyard lots of character. After stopping for a beer in the courtyard, i headed out to do what any history geek would do after a day of exploring castles....i went to checkout the castle in town.

The Fonta de Santa Comba

The castle at Moura had three mineral springs inside the castle walls. Ideal for holding out against sieges, and also for the mineral water company formed in 1899 that started selling Agua Castello, which eventually spread around the world. This fountain pours out mineral water from the spring still 900 years after it's discovery.

Information on the castle of Moura

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/1d37dd_e9ca39f72da94fd3baf7564f6df80a36/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Quick panorama of the view from the castle.

One of the areas being excavated at the castle.

One of the interesting things about the castle in Moura is that the same site has been home to multiple settlements and structures in different eras. This site has been occupied by humans since the 4th century BC. Archaologists are excavating different areas of the castle to unearth some of these previous versions of settlement on this site.

The Donjon tower erected by King Dinis in the 13th century.

View of the excavations that are ongoing inside the castle.

Great view from the top of the castle walls next to the Donjon tower.

Outside the castle proper, but within the outer walls.

Remains of other outbuildings inside the outer walls.

The restored church set in a prominent place within the walls.

Like all of the castles i visited today, there is no cost at all to visit the castle grounds. There is even a staffed visitors center with more information about the town and the castle that you can visit at no cost.

The town of Moura is a great walking destination. I got the feeling that one full day might be enough time to explore the old part of the city properly, and i think that i would like to come back with Kate and spend a full day exploring and checking out the many museums in town that i did not have time to visit today.

Tomorrow is my last day on the bike. I have a long day heading back to Faro from Moura, but plan to enjoy every last minute of the day.