Also known as: Povoado Pré-Histórico de Santa Vitória Climb the metal staircase which spirals 4 meters above the hilltop. Look around at the surrounding countryside: the farms, the nearby town, the water works behind you. Then look down at the hilltop surface. Look closely. There, carved into the ground are curving ditches and holes. They …
Walking through the fields in this Alto Alentejo countryside, horses gambol around you. Splash across the small stream and look up at the hill before you. A towering eucalyptus tree near its top stands out in the landscape, and you make for it. As you climb the hill, the trees clear out and you see …
Portuguese name: Museu de Arqueologia e Etnografia de Elvas António Tómas Pires As you explore this historic building, you can look at historic displays while walking through one. The walls show one part of history, and the displays reveal many others. Videos show the work done in the bakeries in the building during recent years, …
Standing midway up a hill, overlooking the Algarve coast, the scrubland stretches around you. The power lines above emit a faint hum and you can hear some sounds of work from the nearby quarry. Before you, the battered and scarred stone leans slightly to one side, as if it was tired from its long vigil. …
Walk through the quiet village of São Geraldo, and turn down the small lane of Rua Esquerda. Say “bom dia” to the old gentlemen sitting in chairs on the lane outside their houses, having a chat. Then, when you see the silver metal historic plaque from Évora Turismo at the end of the lane, look …
Also known as: monumento megalítico de Monte Serves The wind blows gently through the tall grass on the hillside as you look out over the broad estuary of the Rio Tejo. Squint and you can see the Vasco da Gama bridge stretching across the water. Every few minutes you can see an aeroplane taking off …
Lean against the wooden railing and look out to sea. The wind off the Atlantic Ocean brings sounds of the surf and seabirds, as well as the scent of the salt water. Look down to the ocean, hundreds of meters below. The ocean pounds against the shore and roils as it curls around the inlet. …
Portuguese: Monumento pré-histórico da Praia das Maçãs Also known as: Tholos do Outeiro das Mós, or Tholos da Praia das Maçãs In the Neolithic era, about 4,000BC, an artificial cave was dug on this site. It had a corridor and central burial chamber with side niches. Later, a large tholos was built. The site was …
Also known as: Anta de Vilarinho da Castanheira Picnic tables invite you to sit, rest, and refresh yourself. The pine trees sway and whisper softly in the breeze. Meanwhile, the ancient stone construction reminds you that people were here thousands of years ago, making their own special place. Look closely: what secrets might it hold? …
As the boats cruise up and down the Douro River, many passengers on board hardly notice the tributary river. As they sip their wines and note the vineyard estates along the banks, they might take a moment to pause and look past the disused train bridge and note the low, rectangular building on the hilltop …