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 …
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 …
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) …
Also known as: Anta do Pombal Ancient and more recent construction collide in this strange shelter or shed in the Castelo de Vide countryside. Originally a prehistoric anta (or dolmen), it was converted into a more modern farm construction. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the effects of the modern …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Also known as: Povoado Pré-Histórico de Santa Vitória Climb the metal staircase which spirals 4 meters above the hilltop. Look around at the surrounding countryside: the farms, the nearby town, the water works behind you. Then look down at the hilltop surface. Look closely. There, carved into the ground are …
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 …
