Broken stones lie scattered in the fields above Sagres and the Cabo de São Vicente. If you look closely at them, you’ll see that they are shaped into smooth obelisks. Were these territorial markers in ancient times? Did prehistoric people use them for ritual purposes? We don’t really know. Today, they are merely stones lying …
Sit on the edge of the cliff, looking out to sea. The wind blows in your face while the sun warms your back. Watch people walking along the beach. Watch fishermen walking along the cliffs. Then look down at the sandstone sheet below you. The marks in the stone are the footprints left by people …
Also known as: Anta Grande da Herdade da Comenda Walk across the cattle field and enter the gate. Looming above you is an impressive stone structure. Walk close and peer through the gap in the stones. The structure is even more impressive, with almost half its height buried under ground. This amazing stone tomb has …
Also known as: Alinhamento da Têra, Alinhamento do Monte de Têra Standing tall with flocks of sheep to keep them company, the stone pillars line up from East to West. There are gaps in their formation revealing the loss of some of their number over the thousands of years they have stood here. The five …
Name in Portuguese: Museu Arqueológico de São Miguel de Odrinhas (MASMO) A beautiful museum, built around the ruins of a Roman villa, which houses a vast collection of artefacts. There are inscriptions and relics from the Roman period, as well as relics from more recent eras and others dating back through the prehistoric eras to …
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Also known as: Cromeleque do Monte da Têra, Cromeleque do Monte das Figueiras, Recinto Megalítico de Vale d’El Rei Walking among these perfectly arranged stones on an Alentejo hilltop, you can almost feel the ancientness of the land. These stones were placed here six or seven thousand years ago, and likely were being used and …
Also known as: Cromeleque da Portela de Modos Walk up the small hill, through the Alentejo cork oak forest. The wind blows through the trees, rustling the leaves. Up ahead, stand a group of still grey shapes. These stones have stood here for millennia, both upright and laying down. Once again they stand tall, dwarfed …
Also known as: Cruciforme Megalítico do Alto da Cruz, Cromeleque Cruciforme do Alto da Cruz English translation: “Menhirs of Peak of the Cross”, or “Megalithic Cross-Shape…” or “Cross-Shaped Cromlech…” The wind blows gently through the trees and grass on the top of the Alentejan hill. On a cement block stands a tall geodesic marker. The …
Also known as: Vale de Lapedo Walk along the valley floor, enjoying the sunshine and peacefulness of the sparsely populated road. The wind blows through the trees, adding a soft rustling sound to the noise of the stream. On either side of the valley floor, rough stone cliffs reach up above the trees. Peering through …
Also known as: Anta 1 do Vale da Laje, Anta do Casalinho 1 Walk around the grey stones, noting the structure both in the centre and surrounding it. This was an incredibly important construction for thousands of years, used by people for burials and possibly more. The current buildings around it seem oblivious: do the …