Antas & Cromlechs in Portugal

Driving to or from Lisbon is always a good opportunity to seek out megalithic remains off the beaten track and this year we found the anta below at the roadside, just outside Mora, and in the town there is a new Megalithic Interpretation Centre in the renovated train station. The display area is imaginative and informative, if a little sparse in exhibits.

Not far from Montemor-o-Novo and the main west-east motorway are the Cromlech de Vale Maria do Meio and the Cromlech do Portela de Modos, which is hidden in the trees and tricky to find. The atmosphere at the second stone circle was tangible – do visit if you are driving through this area and can spare an hour or two.

While it is perhaps easier to take a fast road to get from the airport to a first destination, or vice versa, all our journeys through Portugal are planned with little surprises such as these megalithic sites, ensuring an interesting start or a rewarding end to a holiday.