Standing at the top of one of the highest peaks in the Sintra Mountains, you can see all around: Guincho Beach, the Atlantic Ocean, the Setúbal peninsula and the Arrabida Coast. Look down at your feet, and amidst the jumble of stones a circular structure stands out. This massive chamber is part of the Tholos …
This is a Roman site, but it does also have remnants of an Iron Age settlement. Most of the site is of Roman construction (1st century AD/CE), but there are remnants of earlier Iron Age buildings. Pottery from the Chalcolithic period was found on the site, indicating continued occupation from prehistoric to Roman times. Other …
Stand on the cliff face and look off to sea, enjoying the fresh breeze. The surf below competes with the noise of the traffic along the Avenida Marginal. Look down: there surrounded by a circular wall and covered by vegetation are the vestiges of caves that were carved into the rock over 4,000 years ago. …
Portuguese name: Grutas de Alapraia or Grutas Artificiais de Alapraia. Also known as: Necrópole Eneolítica de Alapraia Walk around the neighbourhood of Alapraia, and look into the yards of the houses, read the menu from the restaurant, look at the notices of the clinic. Little glimpses of life in this suburban area surround you. Then …
Also known as: monumento megalítico de Monte Serves The wind blows gently through the tall grass on the hillside as you look out over the broad estuary of the Rio Tejo. Squint and you can see the Vasco da Gama bridge stretching across the water. Every few minutes you can see an aeroplane taking off …
Lean against the wooden railing and look out to sea. The wind off the Atlantic Ocean brings sounds of the surf and seabirds, as well as the scent of the salt water. Look down to the ocean, hundreds of meters below. The ocean pounds against the shore and roils as it curls around the inlet. …
Portuguese: Monumento pré-histórico da Praia das Maçãs Also known as: Tholos do Outeiro das Mós, or Tholos da Praia das Maçãs August 2024: The site is currently undergoing repairs and cannot be visited. In the Neolithic era, about 4,000BC, an artificial cave was dug on this site. It had a corridor and central burial chamber …
Looking up at the cliff face, you might think that the footprints were made by lizards climbing up a wall. However, the prints were laid down on a flat muddy lake bed over 100 million years ago. Two-legged dinosaurs left their prints in the mud, which then fossilized and the ground folded by tectonic movement, …
ALSO KNOWN AS: Artificial Caves (Grutas Artificiais) of Tojal de Vila Chã Stand on the hilltop and listen. You can hear the hum of traffic on the nearby motorway. Heavy vehicles from the waterworks next door rumble softly. Aeroplanes gently roar overhead. Otherwise, within the fence, all is quiet. Wind blows the grass, and whistles …
In Portuguese: Grutas do Poço Velho Under the bustling town, lies a twisting labyrinth of limestone karst caves. Feel the cold, smooth stone as you duck your head: those stones have been worn away by humans for tens of thousands of years. Look into the rounded nooks: people have lain their departed loved ones there. …