In Portugal, every weekend is a gateway to cities, villages or beaches that we haven’t explored yet. As we like to put it, “Time is just what we need to explore space.” We also remember to always stay away from excuses like “I have to clean the house” or “I have to go shopping”. How could we change such a sublime activity for such a mundane one?
Ok, so let’s see where else you can go to see some rustic, idyllic places. This time we went to the interior of the country, destination: Monsanto, Idanha-a-Nova – one of the twelve historic villages of Portugal.
On the way, you must definitely stop at Castelo de Ródão situated in Vila Velha do Ródão, in the Central region of Portugal, to admire the Tagus river winding through rocks and green landscapes.
By this time you’ll be feeling hungry, so next stop for lunch at O Electrico restaurant in Vila de Rei, to enjoy a rich buffet with traditional regional food, where pork based meals get the whole attention. Buffets are such a guilty pleasure, especially in Portugal where you end up tasting everything. You just can’t help it! And you shouldn’t, as it is not everyday you get to eat all this Portuguese ambrosia.
After lunch, have a walk in the garden to see the unbeaten recycled exposition.
At the end of the garden you will reach the Museu das Aldeias. We were impressed by the ingenious display of each element inside. Responsible with the handicrafts at the entrance and with decorating the museum is the owner, a lovely lady who looks like a fairy (may be the reason why in most of the rooms you will feel like in a fairytale).
In the evening we arrived in Monsanto, also known as “the most Portuguese village of Portugal”, being first inhabited around 12th century.
On the far side, the Monsanto village is a hill of stones. As you get closer, you start spotting a window here and there, some roofs, and if you wouldn’t know about it, you’d think: “hmm, there’s life in between all these rocks.” There is indeed, a peaceful quite life, with houses built inside granite stone.
Before anything else, we recommend you first check AirBnb and make a reservation at Casa do Chafariz, a beautiful guesthouse with the typical stone walls from Monsanto. The lady in charge of the house gives even more magic to the place. When you arrive you’ll recognize her immediately, as she’s always accompanied by her dog.
While strolling the narrow up and down streets, you will soon realize that there are quite a few restaurants around, with beautiful terraces and roof tops outlooking fantastic rural landscapes. For dinner, you’d better make a reservation during the day, to make sure you catch a seat outside…It’s pretty romantic!
Don’t miss the castle on top of the village, not so much because of the castle, but because of the refreshing steep climb and the spectacular 360º views.
Monsanto with its surroundings is something to pin on your map in your journey through Portugal. Then don’t forget to come back and tell us all about it! 🙂
Don’t know how to get to Monsanto? Check the map here!
P.S. We forgot to mention that not far from Monsanto there’s another extraordinary place, Sortelha, one of the oldest and best preserved villages in Portugal, surrounded by a medieval and made of granite houses, cobblestones streets, crowned by the Knight Templars Castle. We recommend it!
