Updated Nov 2025 — clarified route context & internal stage links
The best adventures are often found off the beaten path, and the Almendres Cromlech is no exception. A drive down dusty, unpaved roads through a landscape dotted with stoic cork oaks brings you to one of Europe’s most captivating prehistoric sites. Here, where the modern world feels a million miles away, a series of ancient menhirs stand arranged in a vast, sprawling oval. The journey to get here is part of the experience, leading you to a place where you can touch stones that probably have stood for nearly 8,000 years, connecting you to an era long before written history.
Part of the Long-Distance Routes project.
This guide is also a stage on the Crossing Eurasia overland route.
→ See the full continental hub
→ Start the route from Cabo da Roca
Table of Contents
About Almendres Cromlech
Every traveler knows Stonehenge in England, UK. But not too many people (not only travelers) know that there is another construction of this kind that is older and even more mysterious. So, let’s learn more about it.
What is a “cromlech”?
In general, a cromlech is an archaeological term used to describe an ancient, artificially made circle of erected stones (menhirs). We are not exactly sure of its purpose, but most probably, cromlechs were used for astronomical and religious purposes.
Cromlechs can’t be seen everywhere. Most of them were discovered in Western Europe, and the Iberian Peninsula is one of the places with the most constructions of this kind in the world.
Some geography
Let’s focus on Almendres Cromlech. There is an area in the Iberian Peninsula called Alentejo, in the southern (but not southernmost) part of Portugal. The name of this area means “beyond the Tagus”. It is a large, rural place with low rolling hills and wide plains covered by subtropical forests of olive trees and cork oaks.
While this landscape is pastoral and idyllic, you can’t roam freely around it. Most of the Alentejo is divided into small fenced areas, marking farms and other private lands, so you can enjoy the tranquil scenery only from public roads and trails.
Here, in the middle of Alentejo, is the town of Evora– a historic town with rich culture. Not far from Evora (actually, about only 15 km west of it), you can find a rural area with a lot of prehistoric remains- dolmens, cromlechs, and other structures. Most of them are abandoned and hardly recognizable today, but the largest one, established on an almost flat summit, stands clearly and mysteriously, like frozen in the millennia.
This is Almendres Cromlech, one of the largest, oldest, and best preserved cromlechs in Europe. And it is not isolated. There is a lonely menhir not far from it, a part of the whole destination to visit.
But let’s dive into the distant past.
Ancient history
Nobody can say for sure who has built Almendres Cromlech and the other megalithic constructions nearby. The first known people inhabited the Iberian Peninsula, including Alentejo, were the Iberians- a group of various ancient tribes. But most probably, there were other, earlier people who lived here before the Iberians, and maybe they were the builders of Almendres Cromlech and the other structures in the area- Neolithic people with an unknown name.
Almendres Cromlech was not built overnight, but over many centuries. After analyzing the menhirs of the cromlech, the scientists discovered that different menhirs belong to different generations and eras. They consider that the oldest menhirs date from around 7000 or even 8000 BCE and the latest from around 4000 BCE.
If this is true, the cromlech needed around 4000 years to be fully established. For us, modern people, 3000 and 7000 BCE sound almost the same, but think for a while how long actually are 4 millennia! This is the same time distance as the period between the 21st century and 20th century BC, between us now, and the Middle Kingdom of Egypt!
Archaeologists suggest that Almendres Cromlech was built in three steps. The earliest phase was erecting the small inner megaliths, around 7000 BCE. The second, around 6000 BCE, was adding larger outer stones. And the last phase- around 4000 BCE- completing the structure with the largest stones.
The lonely Menhir, located about 2 km east-northeast of the cromlech, was probably erected around 6000 BCE. Nobody can say for sure why the ancient people made it, but after observations, scientists discovered that if we look from the cromlech to the menhir (we can’t see it, it is too small and far today, hidden behind trees and farming land) during the winter solstice, we can see that the sun rises exactly from the menhir’s direction.
This confirms the theory that Almendres Cromlech and the solitary Menhir of Cromlech are a part of one large system, and astronomic observations were at least one of its purposes.
Later history of Almendres Cromlech
After 2000 BCE, new peoples gradually settled in the area. The Bronze Age began, and the lifestyle changed. Iberians, then Celts, and Carthaginians after them came and formed a new civilization. Seems they were not interested in the cromlech and gradually abandoned it.
The next civilizations- Romans, Visigoths, Moors, and Portuguese completely forgot about this structure. The stones were partially overgrown, covered by soil, or partially destroyed by the forces of nature. Locals looked at them just as a natural part of the landscape. The only traces of them were some mysterious and unclear myths and tales…
It wasn’t until one day, in 1964, an archaeologist named Henrique Leonor Pina, while working near the stone, suddenly realized that they were not natural but artificial. He and his team immediately started to excavate and restore the cromlech, trying to solve its mysteries.
Soon, Almendres Cromlech turned from a purely scientific object to a tourist destination. A tourist informational center called Ebora Megalithica was built in the nearest village, Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe. A good dirt road was established from the village to the cromlech, with a short trail- detour to the Menhir of Almendres, and tourist started to visit the site.
Exploring the Earth is fantastic! However, there are various hidden dangers that may ruin your journeys. Don’t allow that to happen, or at least reduce the consequences as much as possible!
Include a travel insurance as a part of your trip preparation by pressing the button below:
My journey to Almendres Cromlech
I (Krasen Jelyazkov) discovered the Almendres Cromlech too. I just planned my long, segmented Crossing Eurasia route– from Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of Europe (and the large physical continent Eurasia) to the Pacific Ocean. My route went eastward, immediately through Sintra and Lisbon, then I entered Alentejo, passing the small off-the-beaten path historical Alcacer do Sal.
All of these places (obviously, in the very beginning of my route) revealed stories from various historical eras. But none of them could take me to the so distant past, to a mysterious era long before the well-known Medieval, Moorish, even Roman civilizations.
So, I included Almendres Cromlech as one of the points on my route and itinerary (each point with its unique local features). I traveled by rental car and reached the starting point for visiting the cromlech- the village of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe. It took me about 3 hours of adventure and it was 100% worth it.
Visit Almendres Cromlech
Here is what a visit to Almendres Cromlech looks like. Let’s first see the main key points of the route.
Nossa Senhora da Guadalupe and Ebora Megalithica
This is the nearest village to Almendres Cromlech and the starting point for visiting it. More precisely, your aim is not the village itself but the tourist center called Ebora Megalithica, located in the western end of the village and the beginning of the road to the cromlech.
The tourist center offers detailed information about the history and lifestyle of the prehistoric people, as well as some souvenirs and drinks. There is a small “prehistoric garden” behind the building of the center, with some educational posters and even artificial models of prehistoric houses, as well as a nice gazebo for relaxation.
Visiting Almendres Cromlech is free. There is no entrance fee. So, you are not obliged to buy anything from Ebora Megalithica; however, I would recommend at least taking a look at the garden and the educational posters outside. You can also buy some educational books about the area and its prehistory.
The road to the Cromlech
There is a well-established dirt road from Ebora Megalithica to Almendres Cromlech. It is 4,3 km long- about 20 min by car (you can’t drive fast, it is a dirt road, after all), or about an hour on foot.
There is a junction about 1,5 km from the start. Be careful to take the left road (the right road leads to the only guesthouse in the area, as well as to a farm). Again, you will notice that you can’t leave the road because there are constant fences on both sides.
But nevertheless, you can always enjoy the beautiful, mysterious landscape of the cork oak forest surrounding the road most of the time. Sometimes, you can see local livestock (usually brown cows) wandering between the oaks. It is really beautiful and impressive.
Almendres Menhir
There is a stop in the 1,9th kilometer with a small parking lot and a sign to Almendres Menhir. From here, you can make a short detour to the menhir on the established narrow trail (again, all the time between fences on the left and on the right). The trail is only 300 m long (for no more than 5 minutes walking) and ends at the menhir.
Here you can stop and take photos of the erected stone. You can’t see the main cromlech from here, and there is no direct trail from the menhir to the cromlech. Actually, there is no other exit from this point (everything is fenced), but you can only go back to the main road on the same trail.
Almendres Cromlech site
From the parking lot of Almendres Menhir, you can proceed further on the dirt road. It gradually ascends on the low hill. The road is currently closed for cars about a kilometer before the cromlech (there is a parking lot just beside the cromlech, but for some reason it is inaccessible for cars now), and cars can go only to the established roadblock at that point. There is no parking lot there, but cars usually park just beside the road. From this point, you can proceed only on foot (or by bicycle).
Finally, the road ends at the Almendres Cromlech. The cromlech has 95 erected stones, as well as more stones lying on the ground. They are arranged in an elliptical shape- 70 m long and 40 m wide. There is a circular trail around the cromlech, starting and ending at the end of the main road. And there are educational posters at this point again.
Here the road ends, again surrounded by fences, and after you finish your Almendres Cromlech visit (I would recommend staying for a longer time- the place is so mysterious and tranquil!), you can only turn back on the same road to Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe and Ebora Megalithica.
Useful tips
Here are some additional tips for your Almendres Cromlech visit.
Transportation
The best way to visit Almendres Cromlech is with your own transport. First, you have to reach Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe. The village is well-connected to the rest of the world, and you just have to follow the GPS navigation. You can arrange your trip from Evora, from Montemor-o-Novo (the second nearest town), or just as a part of a longer route, as I did.
Once you arrive there, it is recommendable to stop at Ebora Megalithica, as I describe above. From there, you can proceed driving on the dirt road to the roadblock before the cromlech. Although the road is dirt, it is in relatively good condition, and even with a small car, you shouldn’t have problems, just drive slowly.
My rental car was a Fiat Panda- a small car, but still capable enough to drive on this road. I didn’t use it only because there was a clause in my rental contract that I was not allowed to drive on dirt roads. So, I left my car at Ebora Megalithica and walked more than two hours to the cromlech and the menhir, then back to the village and the car.
Find the best rental car for your journey!
Another nice trip to Almendres Cromlech is by bicycle (but better- mountain bike, it is not so convenient to ride on a dirt road by a road bike).
But if you don’t have your own transport, you can still use public transport. There are three buses: numbers 1907, 1912, and 1916. Buses 1907 and 1916 travel twice a day from Evora (in the morning and in the afternoon), and 1912- from Montemor-o-Novo.
Staying overnight
The area around Almendres Cromlech is not intended to be a place for overnight stay, at least not for ordinary travelers. So, there are almost no places to stay here- not around the cromlech, and not in the nearest village of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe. There is no camping site here either.
There are only two exceptions. The first exception is an expensive luxurious guesthouse, called Imani Country House– the house on the right road from the junction, about 1 km after Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe mentioned above. But usually, it is not used by ordinary travelers. Its goal is to offer an authentic countryside experience focusing on the natural landscapes in the area (and according to many visitors, it is a really great place). Usually, people go there mostly for a multiday vacation.
The other place is a bit far, south of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe. It is Casa do Monte das Pedras. It is a relatively new property, shown on Google Maps as a “hostel”, but there is no information about it anywhere else. The hostel is not listed on any hotel booking platform. However, there are some user reviews that are very positive, but they have probably just visited it without a booking in advance.
In other words, think about a trip to Almendres Cromlech just as a one-day trip or a short visit “on the way”.
Weather
The best time to visit Almendres Cromlech is in spring and autumn when the weather is pleasantly warm. Winter can be nice too, although a bit cold. However, chances of cold rain are higher in this season (making the dirt road muddy).
The most uncomfortable season is summer, especially if you go there on foot. Although the road goes through a forest, this is not a thick, dense forest with deep shadows. The cork oak forest consists of oaks in big distance from one tree to another, and there is a distance between the trees and the road. As a result, the road is almost entirely exposed under the hot sun, with almost no shadows to hide.
Almendres Cromlech: FAQ
Is Almendres Cromlech worth visiting?
How do I get there from Évora without a car?
Is the road suitable for a regular car?
Where do I park and how far is the walk?
Is there an entry fee or opening hours?
Best time to visit (light & crowds)?
Can I touch or climb the stones?
Are there facilities on site?
Is it good for photography & stargazing?
What else to combine it with?
In a world of fast travel and fleeting experiences, the Almendres Cromlech stands as a quiet reminder of a slower, more profound journey. It is a place where you don’t just see history; you feel it in the air, in the silent stones, and in the timeless landscape. Whether you arrive by car, bicycle, or on foot, the effort to reach this sacred site is rewarded with a unique sense of connection to our ancient past. This is more than a simple excursion; it is a step back in time, a moment to reflect on the immense stretch of history that separates us from the people who built this monument, and a chance to truly experience a forgotten wonder on the path of your own modern-day adventure.
Read more in our Iberian Peninsula travel guide.
Continue the journey
- Long-Distance Routes Hub
- Crossing Eurasia Hub
- Next: Things to do in Evora
- Previous: Visit Alcacer do Sal
Take a look at the video about Almendres Cromlech below:
Like it? Pin it here⇓! Follow us in Facebook, X and Instagram!
You may also like
Hi, we are Krasen and Ying Ying. Krasen is from Bulgaria, and Ying Ying is from China. We are passionate about geography and history, and we believe that the best way to experience it is by exploring the Earth in reality, not in a school, and not virtually.
So, we created this blog Journey Beyond the Horizon, where we share geographical knowledge, travel guides and tips how to experience it when you explore our planet, and a lot of inspiration.
And we wish you a happy journey, not just virtually, but most of all- in reality.
Enjoy!
