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 …
Under the bright blue Alentejo sky, the stone pillar points straight up to heaven. Walk around it, feel the solid stone under your fingertips. Realize that multiple millennia ago, people carved this stone into a spear-shaped phallus and planted it upright into the soil. A human erection thrusting to the heavens, it persists and impresses …
Also known as: Anta das Tapadas do Pincho Standing in a pasture in the middle of the Alto Alentejo, the silence all around you is almost palpable. The railway line nearby has long since been abandoned. The dirt track gets little, if any, traffic. The cows are elsewhere. There’s nothing to hear but insect whine, …
Walk across the field, scanning the area for cows or other residents. Enjoy the view across the fields to the hilltop town of Castelo de Vide. Feel the wind in your face as you walk through the low meadowland. As you reach the top of the small rise, the stones appear before you. Towering over …
Also known as: Anta da Nave do Grou As the wind blows across the meadow, it carries the sound of hissing traffic on the nearby road as well as the tinkling of bells of the cows in the pasture. The grass on the mound wavers in the wind all around the stones. The ancient structure …
Also known as: Anta do Senhor da Serra This dolmen is located on private property. I requested permission from the property owner to visit the anta, but never heard back. Therefore I can’t present a personal site visit. This anta is one of the three Antas de Belas, which were declared National Monuments as a …
The rush of traffic on the nearby motorway is noticeable but not overwhelming. The buzz of the electricity wires overhead is a gentle background noise. Occasionally you can hear a distant shout of a person in the apartment buildings at the edge of the field. Mostly, you’re aware of the warmth of the sun and …
Walking through the fields in this Alto Alentejo countryside, horses gambol around you. Splash across the small stream and look up at the hill before you. A towering eucalyptus tree near its top stands out in the landscape, and you make for it. As you climb the hill, the trees clear out and you see …
Walk through the quiet village of São Geraldo, and turn down the small lane of Rua Esquerda. Say “bom dia” to the old gentlemen sitting in chairs on the lane outside their houses, having a chat. Then, when you see the silver metal historic plaque from Évora Turismo at the end of the lane, look …
Also known as: Anta de Vilarinho da Castanheira Picnic tables invite you to sit, rest, and refresh yourself. The pine trees sway and whisper softly in the breeze. Meanwhile, the ancient stone construction reminds you that people were here thousands of years ago, making their own special place. Look closely: what secrets might it hold? …