South America Castles

Split image showing Carcassonne medieval fortress and Neuschwanstein fairytale palace, illustrating the evolution of castles.

2025-05-11
28 minutes read

The History of Castles: From Fortresses to Palaces

🏰 1. More Than Just Stone Walls There’s something magnetic about standing in front of a centuries-old castle. The thick stone walls, weathered by time. The towers rise against the sky like ancient sentinels. You can almost hear the echoes of clanking armor and the flicker of torchlight against stone. The first time I visited […]

Aerial view of the colorful Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal, showcasing its vibrant red and yellow towers surrounded by lush forested hills.

2025-04-27
23 minutes read

The 25 Most Famous Castles in the World: Iconic Fortresses You Must See

For centuries, the ideas and, even more so, the ideals symbolized by castles and embodied in them have been a catalyst for captivating imaginations. The very concept of a castle, for many—including me, I must confess—is inextricably linked with power (especially political and military), romance, mystery, and history. Most of us can point to at […]

Visitors exploring Castillo San Felipe de Barajas in Cartagena, Colombia, with the Colombian flag waving above the historic stone fortress.

2025-04-10
7 minutes read

Castillo San Felipe de Barajas Guide: Explore Cartagena’s Indomitable Fortress

Some castles whisper history. This one roars it. Standing atop San Lázaro Hill under the searing Caribbean sun, I found myself staring up at the colossal walls of Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the greatest military fortress ever built by the Spanish in the Americas. It’s not just a pile of stones—it’s a monument to […]

Aerial view of Castelo de Itaipava in Brazil, a Neo-Gothic castle surrounded by lush green hills and palm trees, lit up at dusk.

2025-04-07
7 minutes read

Castelo de Itaipava Guide: Exploring Brazil’s Fairytale Castle

I’ll be honest: when someone first told me there was a full-on medieval-style castle sitting in the green mountains near Rio de Janeiro, I thought they were joking. Brazil has beaches, jungles, samba, and fútbol—but Gothic stone towers? It didn’t compute. But then I visited Castelo de Itaipava myself, and now I get it. It’s […]