Also known as: Anta das Tapadas do Pincho Standing in a pasture in the middle of the Alto Alentejo, the silence all around you is almost palpable. The railway line nearby has long since been abandoned. The dirt track gets little, if any, traffic. The cows are elsewhere. There’s nothing to hear but insect whine, …
Walk across the field, scanning the area for cows or other residents. Enjoy the view across the fields to the hilltop town of Castelo de Vide. Feel the wind in your face as you walk through the low meadowland. As you reach the top of the small rise, the stones appear before you. Towering over …
Also known as: Anta da Nave do Grou As the wind blows across the meadow, it carries the sound of hissing traffic on the nearby road as well as the tinkling of bells of the cows in the pasture. The grass on the mound wavers in the wind all around the stones. The ancient structure …
Also known as: Monumento funerário eneolítico do Barro Stand beside the shrine of Our Lady of Pity (Nossa Senhora da Pena) and admire the view all around the hill: the town of Torres Vedras, farmland and smaller villages, the valleys on either side and the hillsides sporting tall wind turbines. The wind blows strongly although …
Just off the pleasant Jardim da Graça in central Torres Vedras stands the gorgeous convent of Nossa Senhora da Graça. Just to the right of the church and the clock tower, a large blue sign beckons you to visit the Museu Municipal Leonel Trindade. When you drag yourself away from the gorgeous courtyard, you enter …
Also known as: Anta do Senhor da Serra This dolmen is located on private property. I requested permission from the property owner to visit the anta, but never heard back. Therefore I can’t present a personal site visit. This anta is one of the three Antas de Belas, which were declared National Monuments as a …
The cars and trucks go whizzing past. They used to be able to stop and refuel, allowing the people inside a chance to get out and stretch their legs. Now the motorway exit and nobody stops and gets out. The megalithic tomb is largely unvisited and only rarely seen as the vehicles rush past. The …
The rush of traffic on the nearby motorway is noticeable but not overwhelming. The buzz of the electricity wires overhead is a gentle background noise. Occasionally you can hear a distant shout of a person in the apartment buildings at the edge of the field. Mostly, you’re aware of the warmth of the sun and …
Standing at the top of one of the highest peaks in the Sintra Mountains, you can see all around: Guincho Beach, the Atlantic Ocean, the Setúbal peninsula and the Arrabida Coast. Look down at your feet, and amidst the jumble of stones a circular structure stands out. This massive chamber is part of the Tholos …
This is a Roman site, but it does also have remnants of an Iron Age settlement. Most of the site is of Roman construction (1st century AD/CE), but there are remnants of earlier Iron Age buildings. Pottery from the Chalcolithic period was found on the site, indicating continued occupation from prehistoric to Roman times. Other …