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 and moved to its present location as buildings were being constructed.¹

This menhir has a neighbour, the Menir of Três Bicos: they are collectively referred to as the two menhirs of Vale da França.²

Location

The menir is in the Algarve, district of Faro. It’s in the municipality of Portimão, in the city itself. It’s located on the sidewalk of Rua do Menir (“Menhir Street”).

Coordinates: 37.129628, -8.549214

Access

The menir is literally on a sidewalk alongside a city street.

Signage

Look for the road signs of Rua do Menir.

Links

• Article (in Portuguese) in the Oldgarve blog by archaeologist Ricardo Soares

Nearby

There are many menhirs in the region. There are at least two others within the city of Portimão itself: the Menir dos Três Bicos, and the Pedra Moirinha. You can find out more about the prehistory of Portimão (including the exceptional megalithic tombs of Alcalar) at the Museum of Portimão.

Sources

1. Soares, Ricardo. “Menir de Vale de França | Rua Do Menir | Portimão.” Oldgarve, 24 Oct. 2013, oldgarve.blogspot.com/2013/12/menir-de-vale-de-franca-rua-do-menir.html. Accessed 2 April, 2026. ↩︎
2. Mateus, Artur, et al. “A Evolução Da Arqueologia Urbana E a Valorização Patrimonial No Barlavento Algarvio: Os Casos de Portimão E Silves.” Arqueologia Em Portugal: 2020 – Estado Da Questão, 2020, pp. 129–144, https://doi.org/10.21747/978-989-8970-25-1/arqa09. ↩︎