Pousada Castelo de Alcácer do Sal 4*
Pousada Castelo Alcácer do Sal is located within the walls of the town’s medieval castle, on a hill overlooking the Sado River, rice fields and surrounding countryside. The Pousada occupies the former Convent of Aracoelli and combines the site’s long history with comfortable, contemporary accommodation.
The building retains historic features including sections of the castle walls, stone arches and the former convent cloister. Its rooms and suites are decorated in warm colours and vary in size and layout, with some offering views over the river, town or surrounding landscape.
The Sala das Colunas restaurant serves regional and Portuguese cuisine in a dining room overlooking the castle walls. The hotel also has a bar and an outdoor swimming pool surrounded by gardens and historic walls. A seasonal pool bar serves drinks, snacks and light meals from June to September.
The Pousada is well placed for exploring Alcácer do Sal and the surrounding region. Nearby places of interest include the Sado Estuary, the traditional fishing village of Carrasqueira and the beaches and rice fields around Comporta. Canoeing, fishing, walking, cycling and horse riding can also be arranged locally.
Rooms
The Pousada Castelo Alcácer do Sal is an Historic Hotel with 32 rooms and 3 suites.
Classic Room - Sado River / Castle walls View
Classic Family - Castle Walls/Pool View
Rooms with either a double or twin beds. Maximum Capacity: 3 adults. Area: 14m²
Superior Room - Castle Wall Views
Superior Family - Castle Wall Views
Standard Suite - River View
Large Family - River View
Junior Suite - River Views
Special Suite - River View
Room Facilities:
Air Conditioning
Central heating
Free Wi-Fi
Hair dryer
Mini Bar
Safe
Cable TV
LCD TV
Telephone
Amenities
The services are mostly provided by the hotel for free. External or paid services are identified.
Free Wi-Fi
Swimming Pool
Parking
Room Service
Restaurant
2 Electric Vehicle Chargers
Dogs allowed up to 15 kg (on payment)
Outdoor Swimming Pool
24h Reception
Safe at the Reception
Newspapers
Laundry (payable)
Multilingual Staff
Facilities adapted for people with reduced mobility
Check-in: from 3:00 p.m. | Check-out: until 12:00 p.m.
History
Atop the highest hill in the region stands the Alcácer do Sal Castle. Once nearly impenetrable, the imposing fortress which once had more than thirty, 25m high towers, now houses the Pousada D. Afonso II and the Archaeological Crypt, an underground museum. Archaeological digs carried out in the vicinity of the fortress found remains from the Neolithic, Iron Age, Roman and Arab occupations. Some of the finds can be seen at the museum currently housed in the castle.
The castle has always played a prominent role in the city’s life. Even its name – Alcácer – comes from the word “Al-Qasr”, the Arabic for palace. The structure was built in 1191 by the Almohad caliph Ya'qub Al-Mansur however it is believed that there were already several military installations in place before the strategic fortification was built.
For many years, the castle was the location for conflicts between Christians and Muslims. D. Afonso Henriques conquered it for the first time in 1160 before it was reconquered by the Moors in 1191. It was during this time that the Algipe tower was built, a tower with an octagonal base identical to that of the Albarrã tower in Badajoz and del'Oro in Seville. In 1217 after a two month siege the Portuguese along with the Crusaders were able to take back the castle which was subsequently donated by D. Afonso II to the Order of Santiago de Espada.
In 1573 Rui Salema, a nobleman from the Royal House of D. Manuel I decided to expand the convent which already existed within the castle & founded the Nossa Senhora de Aracaeli Convent which housed the Clarissa nuns until the 19th Century. By this time the castle itself had gradually lost its military functions. The dissolution of the monasteries gradually put an end to the convent’s community and the building was eventually abandoned and fell into disrepair until the 1990s, when extensive restoration work was carried out on the convent and the castle.
In 1998, the old convent was transformed into a Pousada and ten years later, the Archaeological Crypt of the Alcácer do Sal Castle was opened.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL CRYPT
Located underneath the Aracaeli convent now housing the Pousada D. Afonso II, the Archaeological Crypt offers a true journey back in time, with over 27 centuries of history. The restored area of the Convent contained medieval walls in Christian times, following the reconquest, which are partially supported on Roman walls, which in turn were built on top of the more ancient structures dating back to the Iron Age. All the ruins bear witness to its historical periods, from the oldest built in the 7th century B. C., to the latest, from the 19th century.
This set of structures features a find from a building which, given its dimensions, resembles a shrine, used in the Iron Age and Roman Times (4th century B.C. and 2nd century A.D.). One of the cells of this shrine was identified by an altar with oil lamps and ceramic plates with a small pond, from where a tabela defixionis was removed, i.e. a small plate with spells.
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4-star Accommodation
Board Bed & Breakfast
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