Palmela Castle and the church of Santiago

Palmela castle crowns a hill of the sierra about 30 minutes from Lisbon, and from its walls you can see the Tagus estuary with Lisbon beyond, the Sado with Setúbal and the Arrábida range. It was the seat of the Order of Santiago in Portugal, and within its grounds remain the order's former convent, now a pousada, and the church of Santiago, from the 15th century, a National Monument since 1910.

The Municipal Museum manages several spaces inside: the church, the keep and an archaeological space. The council occasionally organises guided visits to the castle and the historic centre; check its calendar. Below the castle, the streets of the old town run down towards the village. Go up at sunset.