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 …
Portuguese: Museu da Escrita Sudoeste de Almodôvar (MESA) The characters tease you: they look familiar, and they obviously convey a message. What is it? It’s impossible to say. Someday we may decipher all the symbols, but for now they remain enigmatic, leaving us to wonder at the people who lived …
Also known as: Anta Grande da Herdade da Comenda Walk across the cattle field and enter the gate. Looming above you is an impressive stone structure. Walk close and peer through the gap in the stones. The structure is even more impressive, with almost half its height buried under ground. …
Also known as: Alinhamento da Têra, Alinhamento do Monte de Têra Standing tall with flocks of sheep to keep them company, the stone pillars line up from East to West. There are gaps in their formation revealing the loss of some of their number over the thousands of years they …
Also known as: Cromeleque do Monte da Têra, Cromeleque do Monte das Figueiras, Recinto Megalítico de Vale d’El Rei Walking among these perfectly arranged stones on an Alentejo hilltop, you can almost feel the ancientness of the land. These stones were placed here six or seven thousand years ago, and …
Also known as: Cromeleque da Portela de Modos Walk up the small hill, through the Alentejo cork oak forest. The wind blows through the trees, rustling the leaves. Up ahead, stand a group of still grey shapes. These stones have stood here for millennia, both upright and laying down. Once …
Also known as: Cruciforme Megalítico do Alto da Cruz, Cromeleque Cruciforme do Alto da Cruz English translation: “Menhirs of Peak of the Cross”, or “Megalithic Cross-Shape…” or “Cross-Shaped Cromlech…” The wind blows gently through the trees and grass on the top of the Alentejan hill. On a cement block stands …
Walk down the stairs, ducking your head beneath the stone ceiling. Wooden steps lead you down into the Earth. Electric lights have been installed to guide your way, but the silence and the still air remind you that you are in an ancient place. Duck down and follow the laser …
Also known as: Necrópole Megalítica dos Coureleiros, Antas dos Coureleiros Walk along the road leading through the farmland: paddocks on either side of you, with the occasional herd of cows. The constant thumping of the nearby rock quarry provides an unpleasant soundtrack for your visit to this “park.” But if …
Also known as: Anta-Capela de Nossa Senhora do Livramento, Anta Ermida de Nossa Senhora do Livramento, Anta de São Brissos, Anta do Livramento In a field in the Alentejo plains, stands a Catholic chapel. Painted in traditional blue and white, it stands out in the green landscape. It’s only on …
