The interior of Portugal is far from the hustle and bustle of the country's most famous cities, but it reveals great surprises for those who visit. From the beauty of the small towns and villages, to the typically Portuguese food (with unbelievable prices), to the friendliness of the people, getting to know the interior of the country is almost mandatory for those who don't want hustle and bustle and prefer beauty and calm for their holidays.
Today I'm going to talk about a Portuguese village that is quite famous for its characteristics. Built on the side of a hill (quite steep) and with houses built in rocks and local stones, the historic village of Monsanto It is located in the Beira Baixa region, almost on the border with Spain. With traces of human presence since Paleolithic times, Monsanto was donated by D. Afonso Henriques to the Templar Order after its conquest from the Moors in 1165.
The village is pure charm, with centuries-old houses built on the mountainside, made of granite and on top of granite. There are famous rocks in the village that sometimes serve as roofs and sometimes as walls for some of the houses. Living there must be a dream, as the view of the enormous horizon is a privilege for few. The place is so beautiful that television stations spread across the four corners of the world have surrendered to Monsanto, making special articles about the Portuguese location.
After walking around the village, if we go up to Penedo's house, on the left as we go up, we go around the village going up the mountain until we reach the Castle. But be aware that following this trail requires some preparation. But the beauty of the place makes up for any effort and when we reach the top, we are presented with a 360º view of the entire plain that surrounds Monsanto, whether Portuguese or Spanish lands.
After going up to the castle, built in 1165 with the aim of guarding the border with the neighboring country, it's time to go down, this time on the side that takes us directly to the heart of Monsanto, but not before stopping to take photos for everyone possible angles, as the natural setting and stone houses invite us to click. Before we reach the lowest part of Monsanto, the obligatory stop is a viewpoint that offers us a spectacular view of the village, with the famous cliff house right in front of us and below our eyes. Remembering that it is private property, the only place we can see it is from the viewpoint.
Despite being small, the village has a lot to see, such as the castle at the top of the mountain, the viewpoint or the Penedo house. But beyond that there is the Main Church, the Clock Tower, the cave (when you climb to the castle via the mountain) and the typical houses.
How to get to Monsanto
The village of Monsanto is located 280 km from the capital Lisbon and 295 km from the city of Porto. If you are coming from Lisbon or Porto via the A1, you should take the A23 at the Abrantes/Torres Novas exit. On the A23, take the Alcains/Penamacor exit and follow the signs for Idanha-a-Nova. There is no public transport to the village, the only way to get there is by car.
Monsanto is part of the network Historical Villages of Portugal, together with the villages of Almeida, Belmonte, Castelo Mendo, Castelo Novo, Castelo Rodrigo, Idanha-a-Velha, Linhares da Beira, Marialva, Piódão, Sortelha and Trancoso.