Standing on a ridge of a hill, looking over the fields in the western Algarve, the silence belies the hum of traffic on the distant motorway and the whirr of the towering wind turbines on the far hills. These monumental emblems of the modern age of electricity seem to mock the tiny stone standing alone on the ridge. But the menhir’s ancient age reproves any negative comparison with modern inventions. Will those turbines still be standing many thousands of years from now?
This seems to be a solitary stone, but there are three more in a line, separated by 4 to 7 meters. They run along the top of a ridge above the river of Vale Pocilgão, which runs down to the Furnas beach on the Algarve coast. The other three are shorter, lacking individual names. This menir stands about 2m tall, but seems to have been shortened at some point in its history by having the top knocked off.
Location
Access
Access is possible, but difficult. The main road leads to Furnas beach. There is a dirt road leading off that road, with no road name. The menir is on a ridge above the dirt road, which requires a bit of a hike to reach the top.
Signage
There are no signs indicating the way to the menir.
Links
- Article (in Portuguese) from Wikipedia
- Description (in Portuguese) from Archaelogical Portal of Directorate-General of Cultural Heritage
- Description (in Portuguese) from blog site of the Archaeological Museum of Vila do Bispo
Nearby
There are many menirs in the area. Vila do Bispo, the nearest town (and the local municipality) has a megalithic circuit, which includes several menirs, a cromeleque, and more.