Portugal is a very old nation, and with that comes a variety of legends and ghost stories. Although Halloween isn't a very celebrated holiday in Portugal, October is the spookiest time of the year and in the spirit of Halloween, we’ll tell you all about Portugal’s not so secret ghost hubs. With more than 800 years of history, Portuguese culture has a wealth of chilling myths and eerie stories. Discover the haunted manors, old hotels, schools, palaces and hospitals than can be visited today across Portugal.
A tour of Portugal’s most famous haunted places
Taking the capital as a starting point, Lisbon has a long record of paranormal activity. From Palace Beau-Séjour, located not far from the Zoo, to the headquarters of the workers’ association A Voz do Operario, to the college of Fine Arts in downtown, all these places are said to be inhabited by ghosts. The Fine Arts campus is located on the site of a convent built in 1217 and that closed in 1834, and there are many accounts of elevators running with no one in them during the night, mysterious writing on the floor, closing doors, white feathers and strange shadow sightings. Some even claim human bones have been found inside the college.
About 30 minutes away from Lisbon, Sintra and Cascais host haunted mansions. Built in 1903 on the oceanfront of Cascais, Casa das Pedras is rumored to have flashing lights and windows that open on their own, but the owners claim none of this is true. Drive along the Avenida Marginal to see this chilling 4-story manor similar to a medieval castle, and then explore this charming town of the Portuguese Riviera.
A little north, Sintra is home to romantic palaces and a Moorish castle, and the mysterious fog that covers the mountain has inspired many tales. Chalet Biester is located on one of the hills and its dark conic roof granted it the nickname of Witch House. This 1860s manor was the set for Roman Polanski’s thriller ‘Ninth Gate’ starring Johnny Depp, and urban legends say that a secret society gathers in the underground floors, where a book written by the devil himself is also hidden. Truth or not, one very real aspect of Chalet Biester that is out of this world, are the medieval frescos painted by Luigi Manini.
Near Valongo, in the North of Portugal and not far from the Douro River, is a classic example of haunted properties: Sanatorio Mont’Alto. Sanatoriums and hospitals are famed for being ghostly, but this abandoned building gets extra creepy points. The facility was built during Portugal’s Estado Novo regime and opened in 1958 to assist tuberculosis patients, but was later used as a psychiatric hospital and has been closed since 1975. There are myths that some patients died under sinister circumstances and their souls torment curious visitors to the ruins. The property is used today by paintball players, who report doors squeaking, a heavy and cold atmosphere and inexplicable noises.
Coimbra’s Hotel Astória opened in 1926 as an Art Nouveau landmark in the heart of the city. Today, this stylish grand-dame looks and feels of another age, and while guests love it, some have written of odd and other weird encounters in its halls.
Another spooky sanatorium story takes place in Serra da Estrela Mountains, the highest peak in continental Portugal. The former Penhas da Saude sanatorium had been vacant since the 1980s and today is a 5-star lodge whose renovation was overseen by renowned Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. Despite the modern and luxurious facilities, guests report seeing humanlike figures in the hallways, thumping, sudden temperature drops and loud noises, evoking the ghosts of patients who passed on at the sanatorium.
Last (but not least) is Lethes Theater in Faro, the capital city of the southern Algarve region. Once a Jesuit school founded by the Bishop of Algarve, the building was renovated in the mid-19thcentury to become a theatre decorated in red velvet and gold. Although the outside seems old, the painted ceilings and framed stage make up for it. But the performances in this venue are not limited to drama and music. The theatre staff say they sometimes hear footsteps on the wooden stage and some claim to have seen a moving shadow, believed to be the ghost of a ballerina that hung herself in the hall and still dances there at night.
Here are a few of the most famous ghosts of Portugal:
The Lady in White: This ghost is said to haunt the Pousada de Óbidos, a historic castle-turned-hotel in the town of Óbidos. Legend has it that a woman was murdered there by her jealous husband, and now her spirit lingers on, appearing as a white apparition and crying out in the night.
The Ghostly Monk of Alcobaça: The Monastery of Alcobaça is said to be haunted by the ghost of a monk who was caught having an affair with a nun and was walled up alive in punishment. Visitors have reported seeing a ghostly figure in the cloisters and hearing strange noises.
The Phantom Ship of Baía de Angra: According to legend, a ship full of treasures sank in the bay of Angra in the Azores, and now its ghostly crew can be seen sailing the waters at night, searching for their lost riches.
The Headless Friar of Bussaco: The Bussaco Palace Hotel, located in the Bussaco National Forest, is said to be haunted by the ghost of a headless friar who was murdered there in the 19th century. Guests have reported hearing strange noises and feeling a cold presence in the hotel's hallways.
The Devil's Footprints: In the town of Vila do Conde, there is a patch of ground where it is said that the devil himself left his footprints. Legend has it that the devil was chasing a young woman and left his footprints in the stone as he ran away.
Ghost Towns
When we think of ghost towns, we think of the “Old West” in the United States, but Portugal has its share of unique places that have been abandoned over the centuries. Here is a quick guide to the most interesting ghost towns in Portugal:
The Lost Valley of Arouce is about 2 hours north of Lisbon in the Centro de Portugal Region. Here you will find the ruins of a castle that once defended the tiny village of Arouce. The village is now overgrown with trees, its houses gone or mere remnants. The castle is now just a small keep(?), and a circular wall of brown, slate tiles. It sits on a hill, surrounded by mountains. According to legend, the castle was built by “King Arouce”- who fled into this hidden valley with his daughter when barbarians overran the city of Conimbriga in the 4th century. Portugal later emerged as its own nation in the 12th century, and the town and castle of Arouce lost their importance. The valley fell silent and Arouce was gone by 1513, veiled in mystery and myth. Arouce is outside the quaint town of Lousã and is just one of many tiny villages abandoned now, but once dotting the Serra da Lousã landscape.
Faial Island is part of the Azores archipelago, in the North Atlantic Ocean. In the center of Faial is a perfectly shaped volcano, Mount Gordo. In 1957-58, the volcano erupted slowly, burying the town in rock and ash and causing residents of Capelo to flee. When it was done, an additional 1 mile of land mass had been added to the island. Today the site is a regional park, Capelinhos (meaning Little Capelo), with a landscape that looks like Mars, only with a view of the sea and a charred lighthouse. The Azorean Regional government is building a visitor center on the site to tell the story of the volcano and to preserve the lighthouse.
In the north is the town of Marialva. Its recorded history appears in Latin in a.d. 179, in the time of Emperor Adriano, but its founding was almost certainly long before this date. Located on a granite hill, its granite houses were clustered around a main square. Not much remained of its fortifications when, in 1286, King Dinis I gave the town a new charter. In 1515, King Manuel gave orders to rebuild the town’s walls, which were completed by 1559. Wars, poor soils, and isolation, however, eventually led to the abandonment of Marialva. Today, the ghost town of ruined houses, walls, and churches seems frozen in a medieval past, and serves as an open museum for visitors to hike and explore.