Menhir of Padrão — Attraction in Vila do Bispo

I thought it was great. But as a Kiwi where we have nothing like this, I love standing stones/menhirs/henges etc. Stopped at the top of the hill near and on the left of the sign and found a toppled stone near the trig point. But you have to go several hundred meters further on and there it is, ten meters from the road on the right. Got lucky, Max the US student studying in England was there doing his masters on these stones. 5000 bc or 7000 years old, not by settled farmers but more shepherds. What were they thinking dragging and shaping these rocks? Could have been getting food or having a holiday. In a line back up to the one I found lying down and onwards. Not a circle. Max to the left, Steve on the right. Nearly the antipodes of where...

An accessible glimpse into deep prehistory!

A fantastic piece of history right by the roadside. The Menhir of Padrão is a beautifully shaped standing stone from the Neolithic period, making it over 6,000 years old. It's not massive, but knowing it was placed here by some of Europe's earliest monument builders gives me a real sense of awe.

It's amazing to see the faint carvings and think about what they meant. The location is perfect for a quick stop on the way to the coast. You can park easily and walk right up to it. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the western Algarve to connect with a truly...

History from times long past. The significance of the stones must have been enormous back then (just the laboriousness of their production!). Today it is less important. Nevertheless, the place exudes a certain charm precisely because of this.

In contrast to other reviews here, there are actually several stones, but you have to look for them. The main stone is not fenced off and is less than 10 m from the road. Parking is also not a problem at all (but beware of fast cars!). But of course, there is no special tourist program here. You have to be able to enjoy less...