Monsanto

Wow! We have just stayed for 2 nights in an incredible village, high up on a hilltop with an old Templar castle and surrounded by stunning giant boulders! My words will not begin to explain what we saw and experienced in this amazingly unique place - Monsanto, Portugal.

Our drive through the country to Monsanto from Vila de Vides only took about 2 hours. Driving here is so easy as there are few cars on the roads and the roads are in very good shape. We opted to rent a diesel car so we can go much further on one tank before having to fill up again.

We could see the town of Monsanto from quite a distance and took a steep, narrow and windy road up to where we were going to stay. Safe, street parking is available everywhere that we have been, so we were able to park very close to the hotel on a relatively flat surface.

No one answered the bell when we rang and no one picked up the phone when we called. I guess that we were a little early and probably the only guests at this time of the year. The lady across the street offered us a coffee and told us that there was only 1 restaurant that was open and we better get there soon as it closed at 2. We were assured that it would reopen for dinner at 7 p.m. though. We were hungry so we figured that we would eat and try the hotel later.

The meal was great. All of the portions are very big in Portugal. Chris usually gets a filling vegetable soup and then we share the main meal. This seems to be how it is done here. So we ordered one delicious lasagna meal that came with a salad and we were full! The waitress in the restaurant called the housekeeper of our hotel (they are related) and we settled into our room. Well, tried to. It was cold!!! The overhead heater was set at 30C but it didn’t really work. We really had to bundle up! Man, it is cold on top of mountains when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind is blowing. There is no central heat in the houses, fireplaces are rare and there seem to be lots of cracks in the stone walls that let in cold drafts.

In 1938 Monsanto was voted the 'most Portuguese village in Portugal'. Since then it has been protected by building regulations that ensure the village keeps its charm. Granite cottages are squeezed in amongst giant boulders, many of which form part of the houses themselves. The giant rocks also become the walls and steps of the village, in a picturesque, higgledy piggledy way.

You probably will have difficulty imagining a village built into huge granite boulders that are leaning against and balanced on one another, so I won’t say more but will leave the photos to show you what we saw.

The tiny streets, just wide enough for one person, are carved out of rock and climb 100 m up a very steep hill. The hill, known as the Mons Sanctus, rises to a height of nearly 800m. It is absolutely beautiful with gorgeous views over the plains and mountains. (We have seen many beautiful views on this trip. Each one seems better than the last.)

Monsanto is also one of the 12 Historical Villages of Portugal (1995). Any towns or villages with this designation have the emblem of Portugal, the Silver Rooster (Galo de Prata), mounted on a high point. In Monsanto, it can be seen on the top of the Clock Tower.

After a good night’s sleep, 7 layers of blankets and sheets (haha), and a filling breakfast, we went out exploring the streets and castle of Monsanto. The housekeeper left us another heater, which worked. Yay. A warm room for tonight!Read more