The Algarve is known for its sunshine and beautiful beaches, but if you’re faced with a foggy Atlantic morning, it’s a perfect opportunity to pay a visit to the Megalithic Tomb of Santa Rita. The eerie silence, trees looming out of the fog, the sense of isolation …all lend themselves perfectly to the exploration of …
Wander through the exhibits of the Town Museum (Museu da Vila) in Cascais, and learn (in English as well as Portuguese) about the history of this fascinating and beautiful town. There are a number of significant prehistoric artifacts on display, found in various artificial caves from around the area. The displays are labeled in both …
In the gallery, the rectangular sheets of black rock line the walls all around. White-grey images adorn each one. Some are of individual animals, others of groups. Many simply show the trilobites as they had lived (or at least, as they had died). Others showed evidence of specific behaviours such as traveling in a column, …
Portuguese name: Conjunto Megalítico de Barreira, or Menires de Barreira Standing on the hilltop, surrounded by tall trees and lush undergrowth, you are surrounded by a tumbled abundance of giant stones, some standing brightly in the sunshine, with others covered in moss and/or ivy. To the east, you can see the Sintra hills, topped with …
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 …
Updated September 2024 Stand on the headland facing the Atlantic Ocean. To your left, just across the bay sheltering Lagosteiros Beach, lies Cabo Espichel which is the furthest point of the Setúbal peninsula. In front, the ocean stretches out to the Americas. To your right, you can make out Lisbon and the Sintra hills across …
Nestled in a cork oak forest, the stones stand in an elongated group. The hot breeze blows past them and through the trees, making the leaves tremble and rustle slightly. That’s the only sound you hear, along with the buzz of insects. The stones reflect the intense Alentejo sun, giving off their own heat. They …
Protected by the overhanging rock, the red stains stand out. Even after five thousand years, the shapes and designs can still be made out. What their significance is, we can only guess. Some depict people, others animals, while others are abstract symbols. One panel shows groups of lines: were these ancient people keeping count of …
Read more “Rock Paintings of Vale de Junco (or Abrigo dos Gaivões)”
Also called: Anta do Carrascal The buzz of traffic is fairly constant. People and dogs come walking by frequently. This is an urban setting, with houses and apartment blocks, shops and businesses all around. You walk along cement pathways, and approach the tomb along wooden boardwalks. There it lies, surrounded by green hedges, nestled in …
It’s a sunny day at the beach in Parede, on the Lisbon coast. Families have set up beach chairs and towels on the sand. Children are playing in the small puddles in the beach rocks. Some splash at the water in a series of nearly circular bowls, 50cm across. Few of them, if any, realize …