Sesimbra is a very small fishing village with gorgeous beaches, but I found out that they have a historical castle on a hill, so we decided to go check it out while we were there. I think this is actually a national monument of Portugal, too. The walk up from our hotel on the beach was supposed to take about 45 minutes, but we took the wrong turn at one point, so it took us a bit longer. But it was okay because we needed the exercise anyway. ;) Unfortunately, I only had flip-flops on, and the walk up towards the end was all rocky and unpaved and very steep. I managed okay by going very slowly and carefully, but it probably would have been better to wear some proper hiking/walking shoes. It was a hot day and there weren’t really any shops or anything along the way to buy cool drinks, so bring some water with you, folks! Thankfully there was a cafeteria at the castle to buy cold water and yummy mint Magnum ice cream to refresh ourselves and cool off. The views from the castle were spectacular. I read that the views from the cemetery grounds were the best, so we went there first, and it was amazing to look down and see the beautiful view over the whole bay. The castle has a lot of little steps without protective railing, so watch your little ones. I liked how there were some plaques posted with various descriptions of the highest tower, the citadel, etc. There was also a small church that we could go into to take a look. I’m really glad we took the time to go visit this castle. It was a nice activity for an afternoon, and the views were totally worth it.
