Still not well-known among tourists, Tomar is a city steeped in history, most notably linked to the Knights Templar.
While the Knights Templar were being dissolved in Europe, they were gaining strength here in Portugal.
The Portuguese Crown granted these knights the Castro Marim Castle as their headquarters, but in 1357, the headquarters of the Order of Christ was transferred to Tomar, a city founded by fellow Knight Templar Gualdim Pais, who participated in the crusades and protected pilgrims to Jerusalem.
He is also credited with building the incredible Convent of Christ. Almourol Castle is located on an island in the middle of the Tagus River. It’s a true journey back in time, built on a granite outcrop 18 meters above sea level, on a small island 310 meters long by 75 meters wide, in the middle reaches of the Tagus River, just below its confluence with the Zêzere River. During the Reconquista, it was part of the so-called Tagus Line, now the Templar Tourist Region. It constitutes one of the most representative examples of military architecture of the period, simultaneously evoking the early days of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Order of the Templars, an association that reinforces its aura of mystery and romanticism.