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Monsaraz

Perched high over the surrounding countryside, tiny Monsaraz is a charming village with a looming castle at its edge, great views over the Alqueva Dam and olive groves sprinkling the landscape. Its narrow streets are lined with uneven-walled, whitewashed cottages. Today, the village prospers on tourism, with a handful of restaurants, guesthouses and artisan shops. It’s worth coming to taste a slice of traditional Portugal, wander the slumbering streets and sample Alentejan cuisine. It’s at its best as it wakes up in the morning, in the quiet of the evening or during a wintry dusk.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Observatório do Lago Alqueva
Monsaraz
Offers two-hour open-air sessions taking in the marvellous star-filled skies of the Alentejo. You'll get an overview of constellations visible with the…
Museu do Fresco
Monsaraz
Housed inside a fine Gothic building beside the parish church, this museum includes a rare example of a 14th-century secular fresco. The striking work…
Praia Fluvial de Monsaraz
Monsaraz
When you need a break from the heat, head down to this beach on the edge of Alqueva Lake. You can go for a swim (there are lifeguards in summer), hire…
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Lagoa
Monsaraz
The parish church, near the turismo, was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake and again a century later. Inside is an impressive nave and a 14th-century…
Castelo
Monsaraz
The weather-beaten castle at the southwestern end of the village was one in the chain of Dom Dinis’ defensive fortresses along the Spanish border. It’s…
Casa da Inquisação
Monsaraz
Near the castle, this small two-storey museum touches on the Jewish presence in Monsaraz during the Middle Ages and the persecutions that unfolded after…
Igreja da Misericórdia
Monsaraz
Opposite the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Lagoa, this 16th-century church was once part of the Hospital do Espírito Santo complex.
Menhir do Outeiro
Monsaraz
Situated 6km north of Monsaraz is the granite, 5.6m-tall Menhir do Outeiro, one of the tallest megalithic monuments ever discovered.

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