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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Conjunto Megalítico dos Morenos
In the quiet countryside of the Alto Alentejo, the water of the Santa Margarida stream flows slowly down to the Montargil reservoir. Along its banks, if you look carefully among the trees and bushes, lie two prehistoric tombs made of schist. They’ve endured some rough handling through the ages since they were built, both by…
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Anta Pintada de Antelas
ALSO KNOWN AS: Dólmen de Antelas, or in English: the painted dolmen of Antelas On a small dirt road, in the deep interior of central Portugal, rises a small hill. Go around to the back and you find that this is no normal hill: it is an artificial mound. A tumulus, or (in Portuguese) a…
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Anta Pedra do Alagar
ALSO: Anta da Cerca da Francisquinha There’s little left of the original construction of this tomb. It’s somewhat forlorn and tattered from age and raiding. However, it has been recently refurbished and it seems to sit a little more upright and enjoy its place on the top of a hill in the Algarve sunshine. It’s…
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Anta do Beringel
Also called: Tholos of Cumeada On a hill in the heart of the Algarve, a bare dead tree holds vigil over an ancient megalithic tomb. The surrounding hills provide a backdrop of forest and low scrub, leaving the stones standing out under the hot sun. In the quiet, the millennia that stretch between its construction…
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Menhirs of Vilarinha
Hiking up and down the hills of central Algarve, the remnants of the past are all around. There are medieval burial sites all around, and then there are the menirs. In a line running northeast to southwest, red sandstone obelisks stand sentinel over the hills. Each one different, they each have distinctive markings and shapes.…
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Anta da Masmorra
High on a hill, surrounded by nothing but low scrub and forest, stands an abandoned and ruined site: a shattered windmill tower beside the road, forlorn. Just beyond lies the far more ancient Anta da Masmorra, showing less damage than the (relatively) modern windmill. This prehistoric tomb rests quietly in relative anonymity and isolation. It…
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Anta das Pedras Altas
Sit on the hill and take in the vista of the Algarve countryside all around you. No town is near enough to hear. You might hear the birds, or possibly barking dogs, but mostly you’ll hear the wind. The dolmen enjoys this peace and quiet, and has done for thousands of years. The noise and…
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Anta das Pedras Grandes
The ancient stones stand regally in the centre of a large urban park. Despite the loss of many stones, the anta seems proud to be enshrined in such a prominent spot in the community. Passing dog-walkers may pay no heed, resting or picnicking families may not take time to read the informative plaque, but the…
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Anta-Capela de São Dinis
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 original corridor, and the cross…
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Dólmen or Anta-Capela of St. Mary Magdalene
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 you turn and enter the…