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 pointer of your guide. With …
Also known as: Anta da Casa dos Mouros In the sunshine, the light glints off the river below. Birds and insects fill the air with sound, competing with the hum of traffic on the bridge across the river. A riot of wildflowers splashes the green vegetation with yellows, pinks, and more. It’s a gorgeous and …
Walk through the sunny forests on the hills above the Tejo River. Enjoy the birdsong and wildflowers. As you round a bend on the trail, marvel at the enormous stone slabs standing over 2m tall. They have been standing there for 5,000 years. This anta (“dolmen” – megalithic chambered tomb) was built during the Late …
Also known as: Povoada de Chibanes Walk along the ridge of the Serra de Louro, and enjoy the tremendous view. To the east stands the castle of Palmela on a high hill. To the north, you can see to the Tejo River mouth and the capital city of Lisbon. To the south, you can see …
Also known as: Grutas Artificiais do Casal do Pardo, Covas da Moura At the edge of the town of Quinta do Anjo, a rock outcrop looks out over fields festooned with wildflowers. Walk along the outcrop and look into the holes. They lead into large chambers, caves in the rock. These are not ordinary caves. …
Also known as: Anta do Zurrague, Anta do Azurrague 1 This anta (dolmen) is currently (from 2024) being excavated by archaeologists on a project titled MEDICE (Memórias, Dinâmicas e Cenários da Pré-história à Época Romana). There are few known antas in the area, and few published reports of this anta. The anta has been seriously …
Also known as: Cromeleque de Perdigões Below the flapping tarpaulins, archaeologists work, carefully excavating holes in the hard clay. There are many holes, forming a series of concentric circles. The team leader explains the site, using maps and illustrations. He points off to the East and explains how the enclosure opened up towards the rising …
Also known as: Dólmen da Pedra Branca, Monument Megalitico da Pedra Branca Walk around the boardwalk and look down at the stones. Their regular placement shows human work. Think about the four and a half thousand years that separate you from their original builders. Did the builders choose this hilly spot for the views to …
Also known as: Anta da Herdade do Barrocal, Anta da Herdade do Barrocal 1 Standing tall in a cow pasture in the heart of the Évora “Megalithic Universe,” this massive and beautiful megalithic chambered structure is an impressive sight. This anta is a large construction: 2.3m high and about 3m in diameter. Seven solid granite …
Also known as: Monumento funerário eneolítico do Barro Stand beside the shrine of Our Lady of Pity (Nossa Senhora da Pena) and admire the view all around the hill: the town of Torres Vedras, farmland and smaller villages, the valleys on either side and the hillsides sporting tall wind turbines. The wind blows strongly although …