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 …
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” …
In Portuguese: Museu de Vila do Bispo, also known as: Celeiro da História (“The Granary of History”) Come into this restored granary, and walk through the history of the region. From dinosaurs to the modern day, a carefully and artistically designed space guides you through the huge spaces of the old warehouses, teaching you and …
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 …
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. …
Standing sentinel above the fields around Sagres and Vila do Bispo, the conical menir (the common English term is “menhir“) seems the solitary example of prehistoric megalithic construction in the area. But look more closely in the area, and you will find remnants of its original neighbours. Look around again and imagine the area dotted …
Broken stones lie scattered in the fields above Sagres and the Cabo de São Vicente. If you look closely at them, you’ll see that they are shaped into smooth obelisks. Were these territorial markers in ancient times? Did prehistoric people use them for ritual purposes? We don’t really know. Today, they are merely stones lying …
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: 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: 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 …