Surroundings

Around the Lapa dos Gaivões Rural Camping Park.

Within this 15 km radius around the Parque de Campismo Rural Lapa dos Gaivões, visitors can travel by any means, on foot, by bicycle, motorcycle or car, depending on the time available and the pleasure they want. take advantage of what is offered to you.

Next to the park are the typical houses of Hortas de Baixo . Heading towards Vale do Junco, just over 1 km from the campsite is Lapa dos Gaivões (N 39°08'53” W 7°10'23”), the most important group of outdoor rock paintings from Portugal, dating from 4000 BC – 2500 BC, where the “narration” of a pastoral scene stands out, perfectly contextualized in the typology of the agro-pastoral society” installed in the region five thousand years ago. «… The dominant one… is that of schematic art, sometimes with naturalistic or subnaturalist allusions – hunting scenes, groups of domesticated animals, human figurines (male and female) .»( Paulo Pereira – Portuguese Art, essential history, Circulo Leitores )

Esperança – central urban center (2 km from the campsite) In Esperança, visitors will be able to appreciate the popular Alentejo architecture in some of the houses , as well as the traditional chimneys , some very showy, some more sober, some common and others identifying the its inhabitants. When walking around, be sure to see at Largo das Pratas, at number 1, the old Torrefação do Café Caracolilho by António Emilio Correia from 1935 , and between doors 16 and 17, one of the most beautiful chimneys in all of Alentejo . Afterwards, you can visit the Church of Nossa Senhora da Esperança– sec. XVI-XVIII, with a single nave, with a renaissance altarpiece in gilded carving. If you want to know more about cave paintings, megalithism, or about the production of olive oil, then get a visit to the Centro Interpretativo da Identidade Local (CIIL). Within the parish of Esperança, you can still visit Várzea Grande (Marco) , 5 km from the campsite, the smallest international pedestrian bridge in the world, over the Abrilongo stream, where it takes two steps and is in Spain. 6 km from the campsite, to the southeast, is Albufeira de Abrilongo, where you can go fishing, canoeing or just strolling, and finally, in the opposite direction, to the west, the Ermida do Rei Santo,in Recanto, 7 km from the campsite, where, in addition to contemplating the romantic Ermida, you will also enjoy the landscape over the Alentejo peneplain.

The best way to get to know the geography that our Neolithic ancestors once traveled through is to take the PR1 – Arronches – the path of Hope , duly signposted, circular and with about 15 km and 200 meters, which you can take 100 meters below the entrance to the campsite on the road leading to the Abrilongo reservoir. It lasts approximately 5:30 hours (ask for the prospectus at Reception).

snags

In Arronches you will have reasons to, without haste, spend a day at your leisure to visit the

Forte Arronches as Camões called it , or the village of 5 bridges , in the words of Saramago . He will be able to divide the village into three parts

North Zone – Medieval Castle Tower, Tourism, Old Jail (17th century), Elvas Fountain (18th century), Nossa Senhora da Luz Convent (16th century) and A Brincar Museum.

Arronches was definitively reconquered by D. Paio Peres Correia and then integrated into the domains of Portugal. D. Afonso III will have promoted works in the castle , taking advantage of the fortification that would have existed and that embraced the existing houses. During the crisis of 1383-85, the Spanish army took Arronches, which would later be reconquered by Portuguese troops under the command of D. Nuno Álvares Pereira in 1384. The importance of Arronches was well demonstrated in 1475, when D. Afonso V gathered troops here. to arrange his marriage to the Spanish princess D. Joana. Duarte d'Armas represents Arronches around 1509, with the medieval fence and defensive structures clearly defined. «…what particularly interested the traveler was the Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz, with its renaissance portico, the galilee, the beautiful chapter room, with stucco figures, and the cloister, discreet and well shaded, in the suffocating heat in which the sun melts.» (José Saramago – Journey to Portugal ). On its back, facing south and overlooking the Largo Serpa Pinto garden, is the Fonte de Elvas , an elegant Baroque style also carved in white marble.

The Museum has several thematic exhibitions: the memory of the place, the master carpenters of carts, toy from here, the doll's corner, by land, sea and air, games and hobbies, paper models, puppet theater, "Escola do" class. Estado Novo”, Portugal of the little ones. It was awarded by the APOM (Portuguese Association of Museology) on 05.04.2003 in the Triennium for the best Cultural Extension service; It was a candidate in the year 2006 for the European Museum Forum, being among the 15 finalists being the only Portuguese museum to compete that year, it received a certificate of Recognition of its successes in innovation.

Then cross Rua 5 de Outubro and reach the Central Zone – Igreja Matriz (Church of Nossa Senhora de Assunção), Museum of Sacred Art, Paços do Concelho, Fountain of Neptune, medieval Arronches and the Arch of Arronches.

The primitive church of Nossa Senhora da Assunção , which also houses the Museum of Sacred Art , was built in 1236 and the temple would be completed in 1242. In 1512, D. Manuel granted Arronches a new charter, and a few years later the matrix would be rebuilt, by royal initiative, there being doubts as to the authorship of its design. Following the model of hall churches that began to be explored in the church of the Convento de Jesus de Setúbal, the Arronches matrix presents a new typology of space that “tends to expand, to overcome Gothic technology” and that will meet its exponent in Saint Mary of Bethlehem. In front of the Matriz and Paços do Concelho stands the beautiful Fountain of Neptune.of the century XIX. Separated from the Matrix by a narrow street, a manor house, today Paços do Concelho , with an admirable facade, beautiful iron railings with armillary spheres in the bay windows, with the village tower integrated to its right, from the 18th century. Medieval Arronches is made up of narrow streets, some of which are steeply sloping, where ocher, blue and white predominate on the facades, lintels and jambs, with many Gothic and Renaissance doors, where the Jewish presence is felt with some relevance, and a Gothic arch at the beginning of Rua do Arco.

South Zone – Riverside Walk (Ponte do Crato, Fonte do Vassalo and Ceira – Interactive Center of Rurality in Arronches).

The new Interactive Center for Rurality in Arronches (CEIRA), in Alto Alentejo, a tribute to the farmer, the field workers and the hard work of the land in other times, exposes more than a thousand tools and agricultural parts that have been collected over the years by farmers in the region. Magnificent museum .

The Passeio Ribeirinho allows a healthy and beautiful walk around the Caia River and the Ribeira de Arronches that will contribute to the physical and mental decompression of those who lead a busy life. The Crato Bridge over the Caia River, from the 15th century, built in granite, consists of six round arches. Fonte do Vassalo is a Baroque fountain from the 18th century, with similarities to a Baroque portico. Topped by the coat of arms of Portugal, it has a spout and colorful paintings. It is flanked by two tile panels with images of the castle of Arronches according to Duarte d`Armas and two contrasting scenes, one from the life of rural workers and the other from the life of the aristocracy.

As Atalaias – Outside Arronches, on the road to Santa Eulália, you can visit the Escarninhas watchtower (39.102734, -7.274923) ( N 39°06'09.8″ W 7°16'29.7″ ), just after the Arronches exit and Baldio's watchtower( 39.068606, -7.260271) (N 39°04'07.0″ W 7°15'37.0″), further on for about 6 km, turning left towards “Baldio do Caia”. The word Watchtower is used to designate a tower or high place, a lookout post of a certain delimited territory, functioning as support for another more complex type of defense, such as a wall or a castle, being distributed in strategic places in the surrounding area. The Escarninhas watchtower is the first of a set of seven that extended to the current border with Spain, the others are known as Água de Raiz, Louções, Outeiro Branco, Torre das Areias, São Bartolomeu and Baldío, also known as Algalé. The existence of two watchtowers, each on the hill that gave them their name, das Escarninhas and Baldio, represent the importance of Arronches in the strategy of defending the national territory. Watchtowers would have been built in the 17th century, in the context of the War of Restoration of Independence, as advanced defenses to prevent enemy infiltration and, particularly, as watchtowers. to alert the population and local forces.

Caminho das Garças – 9.5 km of road where you can see herons and storks and also cormorants, lapwings and cranes in winter, as well as beautiful landscapes. From the road to Santa Eulália (N 39°03'54.7″ W 7°16'32.1″) turn left towards “baldio do Caia”, until you reach the road to Campo Maior, N. 246.

Mosteiros River Weir ( N 39°11'22.2″ W 7°17'08”) and Pego do Inferno(N 39°11'50” W 7°17'09”) – The Ribeira de Arronches rises near the top of the S. Mamede mountain range, at the top of Vale Lourenço and when it leaves the parish of Alegrete near the parish of Mosteiros, it has a faster zone that culminates in Pego do Inferno, a natural well in the rock with clear and crystalline water that you can swim and refresh and where the most daring dive, launching themselves from rocks at about 5 meters high. The Mosteiros river weir, further downstream, is a very pleasant area in the height of the heat where you can savor the freshness of leafy plane trees and oaks with the murmur of the waters and the breeze, reading a book, enjoying a snack in one of the bars, or simply talking or watching the tortoises looking for food.

The natural pools of the Xévora River N 39°14'18” W 7°12'14” – 39.238307, -7.203923

– A little over 10 km away, in an idyllic, cool and magical place, in the middle of the torrid summer, the visitor can cool off in the crystalline and fresh waters of Xévora, which rises in the Serra de S. Mamede, and can also enjoy the route micro landscapes of Xévora, an intimate and almost mysterious 500-meter eco river walkway where you can discover small details of nature and the forest, which often go unnoticed

Medieval town of Alegrete

The castle of Alegrete is one of the most important fortresses in the Upper Alentejo border, assuming, since the Middle Ages, as a fundamental fortification in the regional defensive system. In 1267, following the Convention of Badajoz, the town was definitively integrated into Portuguese space. A few years later, in 1319, D. Dinis granted the town a charter, a moment that coincided with the construction of the current castle, although the possibility that the works started immediately after the Badajoz agreement is considered. The line of walls is also very destroyed, having, in any case, some parts preserved, highlighting the Porta da Vila. In the following centuries, Alegrete played an important role in the wars against Castile. In 1384, in the midst of the peninsular war that would result in the affirmation of D. João I, Constable D. Nuno Álvares Pereira visited the town, which, at that time, was already defending Avis's pretensions. In the 17th century, under the impulse of the Marquis of Marialva, the walls were repaired and updated. At the beginning of the 19th century, in the last peninsular war, Alegrete was still attacked by Spanish troops, but the fortress was already in irreversible decline. On June 26, 1855, the county was extinguished. Alegrete is proud of its heritage, which includes the beautiful Igreja Matriz from the 16th century, the Capelas de São Pedro (15th century) and Misericórdia (17th century), theClock Tower next to the Igreja Matriz, dating from the 17th century or the charming Bandstand from the 20th century. It is worth visiting the quiet streets of Alegrete , with its typical white houses with a colorful strip that harbors the true essence of Alentejo, where time seems to stop and traditions are wisely maintained over the years.

take over

The parish of Assumar has an interesting architectural heritage, of which the following stand out:

Parish Church of Assumar , composed of three naves, separated by three pointed arches, and three altars. One of the most important architectural elements is the Gothic portal in the shape of an ogive. A replica of the sword of D. Nuno Álvares Pereira is still encrusted on its outer wall.

Relógio de Sol – located on Rua Direita.

Gothic Doors – In the houses on Rua Direita it is still possible to see interesting Gothic doors, which have withstood the passage of time.

Cabroeira waterfall

It is the most imposing waterfall in the Serra de São Mamede and can be found just before reaching the village of Rabaça . It is known as Cascata da Cabroeira or Cascata da Rabaça and is a small treasure that creates an ideal environment for rest.

albuquerque

Declared Historic and Artistic Complex, it is divided into two distinct parts due to its defensive wall: The Medieval Quarter , with narrow and ornate streets full of pointed porticoes, crowned by the imposing “ Castillo de Luna ” (S.xv), one of the best fortresses medieval ones that are preserved in Extremadura and the Iberian Raia; and the more modern part, known as “ Villa Afora ”, where the “solariegas” houses and some unique buildings stand out, such as the church of “San Mateo” (S.xvI), the convent of “Madre de Dios” and the church of “San Francisco” (SXVII) and the Sanctuary of “Nuestra Señora del Carrión”.

Ribeira de Arronches waterfall

The Ribeira de Arronches Waterfall is also worth a visit, but it has a narrower and steeper path that requires some skill to get there, being less advisable for families for this reason. It's only 200 meters between the parking lot and the waterfall, but you have to walk along a narrow, cobbled path. The descent to the waterfall is steep and will require a lot of skill. Therefore, taking the kids is not recommended.

S. Julião Waterfall

The São Julião waterfall is located near the village of Monte Sete , hidden in a valley where the Xévora River flows and forms wonderful small lagoons. Just before the sign, which announces the entrance to the village of Monte Sete, you should follow the asphalt road, which shortly after transforms into a dirt road. From here, access is pedestrian and, after walking about 400 meters, it is already possible to hear the waterfall. Shortly after, at the fork, the waterfall is visible.

Coffee Science Center

The Center is a center for interpretation, scientific and technological dissemination and tourism promotion of Delta and aims to provide visitors with an interactive journey into the world of coffee.

monforte

Medieval bridge , of Roman origin; remains of the Castle wall; Church of Madalena from the 15th century, where there is a museum center; Convent of Bom Jesus from the 16th century; Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição and Capela do Senhor dos Passos, from the 16th-18th centuries; Igreja Matriz , Paços do Concelho , Igreja de S. João Batista, Casa do Prior, Igreja da Ordem Terceira, Capela dos Ossos , from the 18th century; Chapel of the Lord of the Good Death from the 19th century.

Albufeira do Caia (by Santa Eulália) – Bird observatory and possibilities for swimming or water sports without a motor.

Waterfowl – mallard, trumpeter duck, red-billed duck, beaded duck, croaker, common teal, crested grebe, white-faced cormorant, egret little, gray heron, heron, common coot, stilt, dwarf tern, terns, spoonbills.

Large land birds – white stork, black kite, golden plover, lapwing, bee-eater.

Passeriformes – rock tern, tern, russet wrasse, nightingale, reed weasel, shrike shrike, gray rook, magpie, blue magpie, magpie seal.

the neighborhoods

ouguela

In the 13th century, after the territory was transferred to the Christian sphere, the village was part of the kingdom of León and Castile for more than half a century, until it was definitively integrated into the Portuguese crown in 1297, under the Treaty of Alcanices. The following year, D. Dinis granted a charter to Ouguela, but it was only more than a hundred years later that the town ceased to belong to the bishopric of Badajoz. The essentials of the castleit dates from that turn to the 14th century, although there are traces of later reforms, in particular that verified in the reign of D. João I, monarch who transformed Ouguela into a couto for homiziados. At the beginning of the 16th century, Duarte d'Armas left us the design of the late-medieval fortress, defended by seven quadrangular towers, including the keep, attached to the fence on the western side. After 1640, in the war that Portugal waged against Spain with a view to its independence, the town was endowed with a bastioned defensive system, which inevitably corrupted part of the medieval device. Under the command of Nicolau de Langres, the new fortressincluded numerous bastions and ravelins, a moat, patrol paths, quartering facilities and a large quadrangular cistern (12 meters on a side), recently repaired, located in the town's square of arms.

Bigger field

In the white houses of Campo Maior, two buildings stand out for their proportions: the castle and the parish church . Attached is the Chapel of Bones . There is also the village to see the Church of São João Batista , founded in 1520; the Misericórdia church built in 1592, the Santo António Convent church and its cloister. The Festas do Povo de Campo Maior are famous , with more than 100 streets and squares all decorated with paper flowers and other materials, idealized and carried out by the people and when the people decide to do so. They take place in September.

Portalegre

Of the castle , founded by D. Dinis, three towers remain. The Cathedral , built in 1556, has baroque carvings and paintings from the Mannerist school. The Town Hall building dates from 1632. The Church of the Convent of S. Francisco was built from 1228 to 1275. The Convent of Santa Clara dates back to 1376 and the Convent of S. Bernardo to 1518. Yellow Palace , the Casa dos Condes de Melo and the Solar dos Condes de Avilez . In this city , the Municipal Museum , the José Régio House-Museum and theTapestry Museum .

S. Mamede Peak

Located in the heart of the Serra de São Mamede Natural Park , this viewpoint is located in Pico da Serra, at an altitude of about 1025 meters, constituting the highest point on the Portuguese mainland south of the Tagus River, and from there, exceptionally, in days of great visibility to see the distant sea. From the Pico da Serra de São Mamede you can see excellent panoramas over the magical village of Marvão, Castelo de Vide, the Serra da Gardunha, Serra de Talhadas, da Estrela, the beautiful Barragem da Apartadura and the upper Alentejo.

Port of the Sword

Porto da Espada is located in the Serra de S. Mamede Natural Park , parish of S. Salvador de Aramenha, Municipality of Marvão. Its houses rise up in the valley and wind along the slope to the place called Porto, which perhaps once was a point of transit for goods by land. Perhaps that's where its name comes from. For the legend says that there was once a battle between Moors and Christians. The last ones arrived at the site of Porto saying that: _" Here you pull the sword ." There is still another version: -“ From Porto da sprint, to the unsheathing of the sword .” The word Porto can be understood by the place from which the men left in an attitude of fight, having given the place of combat the name of Espada. Hence, perhaps the Port of the Sword.

palm tower

Of the once wealthy and self-sufficient Roman villa of Torre de Palma , belonging to the Basilli family, little more remains than its foundations. Due to the extent of the remains that extend over the gentle hill, the place does not fail to radiate mystery about how its sumptuousness must have been. Built in the 1st century with a plant that served functions predominantly linked to agricultural activities, it was expanded to make way for a villa with a peristyle for the retreat and leisure of its owners, thus lasting until the 5th century. To the west is what remains of the thermal baths . used by the owner, with its rooms for hot, tepid and cold baths. From Torre de Palma came the most beautiful mosaics , such as theHorses and the Muses , which can be found in the Portuguese Archaeological Museum. At the entrance, separated from the Roman villa , is the basilica of Torre de Palma , dating from the 17th century. VI, built after the entry of the Suevi into the Iberian Peninsula in 409 AD. Of it only the foundations remain, with three naves and opposite apses , being, even so,one of the most important vestiges of religious architecture.

Paleochristian in the territory of Lusitania.

Ammaia

An enviable booty: Ammaia's glass pieces are outstanding; a ringstone depicting the menorah attests that Judaism is much older in the area and would not need to be hidden; one of the most intriguing discoveries in the spa area: a stone ring with an elephant emerging from a cornucopia. In many ways, the fortunes of Ammaia, a Roman imperial city founded in the 1st century AD and probably inhabited until the middle of the 6th century, reflects a mosaic of accidents and chance, clear bets and peculiar silences. “ Powerful and planned, the city may have had two thousand inhabitants in its heyday.”, considers Carlos Fabião, archaeologist at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Lisbon. Abandoned later, it was progressively looted over the centuries.

Portagem River Beach

Magnificent river beach for hot days, when the Sever River, with its crystalline, fresh and beaten waters, flanked by poplars, ash and alders, will offer you refreshing days of rest. Next door is the medieval bridge and tower . According to legend, it is said that the toponym “Portagem” came from the Jews expelled from Spain by the Catholic Monarchs, who paid the “toll” to enter Portugal through the old bridge that still exists in this place.

Elvas

Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in June 2012. This classification covers the entire historic center , the bastioned walls from the 19th century. XVII , the Santa Luzia Fort , the Graça Fort , the Amoreira Aqueductand the three forts: São Pedro, São Mamede and São Domingos or Piedade. Due to its strategic position next to the border with Spain, Elvas was marked by war. This military history can be revisited through a tour of the city's rich military heritage. Its fortifications, together with the forts of Santa Luzia and Nossa Senhora da Graça, are considered one of the largest and best preserved bastioned forts in the world. Its rich religious heritage is made up of numerous churches, including the Church of Nossa Senhora da Assunção (which became the Cathedral and which is one of the most notable churches in the city), several convents and the sanctuary of Senhor Jesus da pity. One of the most important examples of hydraulic architecture in Portugal, the ex-libris of Elvas, is the Amoreira Aqueduct . The Castle of Elvas , from the top of a hill, dominates the entire city. In Elvas, the following museums are worth visiting: Museum of Contemporary Art , Museum of Archeology and Ethnography of Elvas António Tomás Pires , Museum of Sacred Art and Casa do Cabido , Municipal Museum of Photography João Carpinteiro , Heritage Interpretive Center , Military Museum of Elvas , Military Museum Forte de Santa Luzia and House of Jewish History .

marvão

«Marvão reminds us of one of those Greek monasteries on Mount Athos, where you can only get there in baskets pulled by a rope, with the abyss at your feet. Such adventures are not necessary. The road struggles to reach the top, there are curves and curves in a wide arc of a circle that surrounds the mountain, but finally the visitor can set foot on land and watch his own triumph... On the Spanish side, you can see Valencia de Alcântara, S. Vicente and Albuquerque, in addition to a bunch of small villages; to the south, through the gorge that separates the Serra de S. Mamede and the other, only its buttress, Serra da Ladeira da Gata, you can identify Cabeço de Vide, Sousel, Estremoz, Alter Pedroso, Crato, Benavila, Avis; to the west and northwest, Castelo de Vide…, Nisa, Póvoa and Meadas, Gáfete and Arez; finally, to the north, the atmosphere being clear, the last shade of blue is the Serra da Estrela: it is not surprising that Castelo Branco, Alpedrinha, Monsanto can be clearly seen. It is understandable that in this place, from the top of the keep at Castelo de Marvão, the traveler respectfully murmurs: How great is the world”». In Journey to Portugal, José Saramago.

Veiros

It preserves vestiges of the Old Castle, from the Iron Age (500 to 1500 BC), ruins of the medieval castle (14th century), the three-nave main church (13th - 14th centuries, rebuilt in 1595), the pillory and the Church of Nossa Lady of Mileus built in the 12th century apparently on top of an earlier Roman building.

Castelo de Vide

It is one of the most beautiful villages in Portugal. Its castle was completed in 1372. The settlement later, not fitting in the tight belt of the walls, extended eastwards to the hill where the Forte de São Roque was built in the 18th century . Castelo de Vide presents the most important set of ogival doors in the whole country. On Rua da Judiaria, admire the synagogue with a broken arched portal. In the lower area there is a curious quadrangular fountain , with a pyramidal cover supported by marble columns. There are more than twenty churches to visit and a very interesting series of fountains and springs.

Cabeço de Vide

From its past, it preserves the ruins of a castle , the 4-meter high pillory , a 5-meter- long marble cross and the 16th-century mother church . Nearby is the Fonte do Borbolegão , of Roman origin, with a very abundant flow and the Sulfúrica Baths , with hyposaline, calcium and sodium chlorinated waters, applied to the treatment of rheumatism, kidney diseases, dermatoses and respiratory tracts. Outside the river beach.