Monsanto
Historical Village Of Portugal Built Among And Under Giant Granite Boulders, Crowned By A Templar Era Castle Ruin; In The Naturtejo UNESCO Global Geopark · Monsanto, Castelo Branco
Monsanto is a small village of granite houses clinging to the slopes of a steep, boulder-covered hill that rises out of the plain near the Spanish border in the Beira Baixa. The houses are wedged between giant rounded boulders and sometimes built right under them, so a single rock forms the roof or a wall. At the top stand the ruins of a castle given to the Knights Templar in the twelfth century. In 1938 a national contest named Monsanto 'the most Portuguese village in Portugal', and the prize, a silver rooster, still tops the clock tower. People come for the boulder houses, the climb to the castle and the enormous view over the plains, and for traditions such as the adufe drum, the faceless marafona dolls and the Festa das Cruzes in May. It is one of the Historical Villages of Portugal and lies in the Naturtejo UNESCO Global Geopark. The honest caveat: it is tiny, steep and very hot in summer; most people need only a few hours, and the climb to the castle is rough, with no railings in places.
Monsanto village on the slopes of a granite inselberg, Idanha-a-Nova municipality, about 50 km north-east of Castelo Branco, Monsanto, Castelo Branco, Portugal
The village and the castle ruin are open all year and free to walk, day and night. The small tourist office and the few museums and shops keep daytime hours and may close on some days in winter - confirm. There is no train: come by car, about 3 hours from Lisbon or 50 km from Castelo Branco; buses are sparse, so confirm times. Park at the lower edge of the village and walk up. Nothing needs booking except rooms in May and at weekends.