Also called: Anta de Pavia The enormous dolmen stands proudly in the square, grey and hulking beside the traditional yellow and white Alentejana buildings. It presents its original rear towards the square, but as you head around to its entrance its transformation becomes clear. The squared-off stone entranceway replaces the …
Sitting in the quiet & peaceful church, you can contemplate faith and history at the same time. The church itself dates back to the 16th century, and the hundreds of years of devotion has permeated the azulejo tiles, marble altar, and beautiful stained-glass windows devoted to its patron saint. Then …
A group of stones in the forest show cup (or “cupule”) marks (the Portuguese term is covinhas, which translates as “dimples”). These are a distinctive prehistoric decoration technique. The carvings are seen on several stones: some are connected by grooves, and others form distinctive alignments or sets. The carvings have …
As you follow the well-trodden (and well-worn!) path, with wired fences on either side of you, you get the feeling that you are simply being herded to something very pedestrian and unimpressive. The nearby farm buildings do nothing to allay you of your suspicions that you are wasting your time. …
Stand on the grassy hillside, facing west, surrounded by cork oak trees, and notice the wind blowing and the birds calling. In the far distance, you can just hear the hum of cars & possibly the noise of farmers calling out to their workers. In the far distance, you can …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
