The main human relics from prehistoric times are megalithic constructions. (Megalith means “large stones”)
Portugal has hundreds, if not thousands, of megalithic sites. These are broken down into the following categories:
- Tombs
- Standing Stones
- Alignments or circles
Many of these sites are visitable, but some are on private land. As archaeologists excavate these sites, any artefacts of human creation are kept in museums or universities.
Use the map at the right to search among the various megalithic sites (highlighted map markers indicate megaliths that are described on this website), or browse through the entries below. More posts are added as sites get visited.
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Mamoas do Taco
Walk along the road through the industrial area of Taco, in the town of Albergaria-a-Velha, and if you keep your eyes peeled you may see something intriguing. Beside a bakery factory, two empty spaces contain low mounds each with a notice board beside them. These are funerary structures that people built here around six thousand
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Alcalar
Also known as: Megalithic Monuments of Alcalar, Alcalar 7, Alcalar 9 It’s just about possible to see the sea from here, but this is not your typical Algarve beach spot. These hills, in the foothills the mountains of Monchique, hold a very special allure to entice people away from the beach. That allure was true
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Antas da Ordem
Also known as: Núcleo Megalítico da Ordem, Antas do Monte da Ordem, Antas da Herdade da Ordem Walking through the pasture, keeping an eye on the herd of cows, you can feel the Alentejo sun beat down on your head. Duck underneath the irrigation mechanism. Follow the dirt track that leads towards the farmhouse. At
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Menir da Torre
A fallen and broken stone, originally part of a menhir or standing stone. The stone is broken, and is lying beside the road as part of a stone border. It very likely was originally situated somewhere else, possibly in a field. The museum in Portimão has a display that says this is a “large monolith”
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Menir de Odiáxere
Standing alone in a private garden, this stone proudly displays ancient carvings. (photographs graciously provided by one of our readers) This is a cylindrical menir, with the top broken. It is decorated with vertical bands of carved waving lines. (Serpentiform?) The menir was re-erected on the site where it was found by the landowner. Menir
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Menir de Vale da França
This little stone stands peacefully in an urban environment. Having been moved from its original location, it now serves as an enigmatic reminder to passers-by that people had lived here and built markers like this many thousands of years ago. (photographs graciously provided by one of our readers) This was apparently found in the area
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Pedra Moirinha
This rough stone is positioned in the middle of a sidewalk in an urban area of the town of Portimão. Having been moved from the distant mountains in prehistoric times, it was again moved in modern times because of construction. It now serves as an enigmatic presence in the urban context: challenging passers-by to think
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Menir dos Três Bicos
This Neolithic stone stands again in a park, slightly removed from its original position. Whatever its original purpose, it now stands as a focal point in an urban environment. (photographs graciously provided by one of our readers) According to a post from the Museum of Portimão, this menhir was found fractured, lying on its side
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Pedra Escorregadia
Also known as: Menires da Pedra Escorregadia, Sepultura da Pedra Escorregadia, Necrópole da Pedra Escorregadia Stand on the hilltop, and listen to the cars racing past on the road below. On this hill, the stones have stood still for many thousands of years. Looking around the view, you can see to the ocean in several
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Cromeleques de Amantes
Two groups: Cromeleque de Amantes 1, Cromeleque de Amantes 2 (also known as Menires de Amantes 2) Walking around the field, several large stones stand out. They’re toppled over and broken, but their smoothed cylindrical shape belies their origins: these are shaped stones, made into menires (Portuguese spelling), or standing stones, thousands of years ago.