Aldeia histórica de Monsanto
Aldeia histórica de Monsanto
Aldeia histórica de Monsanto
5
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- Jeff KPittsburgh, Pennsylvania2,208 contributionsVery Memorable TownWe stayed here in a one bedroom Airbnb rental. We enjoyed the town but didn’t have a porch or deck with a view. If you stay here I highly recommend renting a place with a view of some sort. Make sure you get good GPS directions for where to park. Parking is extremely limited and a lot of the GPS locations are wrong. A one night stay worked well for us. We saw the town and had a nice dinner with a view. There are some hiking options nearby if you’re thinking about staying longer.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 19 September 2023
- paloma174Narbonne, France41 contributionsWorth going!!!!Amazing village!! Walk along small streets full of huge stones! View from the castle is beautiful ! We had luch at the Adega Tipica O cruceiro. Good food, best service!!Visited December 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 10 December 2023
- Alice H25 contributionsBEAUTIFUL SIGHTS OF NORTH PORTUGALI really enjoy those hidden unknowns to most people and Monsanto happens to be one of those Portugal’s hidden gems. If you are in the northern region, spare some time to visit. Highly recommend this place. Make sure you have comfortable walking shoes. The trek will take 30-40mins. If it’s summer time, the north can get quite hot. So try and get there early in the morning to avoid crowds and heat. The climb can be challenging for some people because of the steep ascent but it’s worth it for sure. Lovely view. Beautiful village. Please don’t forget to bring water. It’s one of those places you never forget.Visited April 2024Travelled with familyWritten 26 May 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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5.0
376 reviews
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Alice H
25 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
I really enjoy those hidden unknowns to most people and Monsanto happens to be one of those Portugal’s hidden gems. If you are in the northern region, spare some time to visit. Highly recommend this place. Make sure you have comfortable walking shoes. The trek will take 30-40mins. If it’s summer time, the north can get quite hot. So try and get there early in the morning to avoid crowds and heat. The climb can be challenging for some people because of the steep ascent but it’s worth it for sure. Lovely view. Beautiful village.
Please don’t forget to bring water. It’s one of those places you never forget.
Please don’t forget to bring water. It’s one of those places you never forget.
Written 26 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
paloma174
Narbonne, France41 contributions
Dec 2023 • Couples
Amazing village!!
Walk along small streets full of huge stones!
View from the castle is beautiful !
We had luch at the Adega Tipica O cruceiro. Good food, best service!!
Walk along small streets full of huge stones!
View from the castle is beautiful !
We had luch at the Adega Tipica O cruceiro. Good food, best service!!
Written 10 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stepsabroad
London, UK298 contributions
Nov 2016 • Couples
This is a stunning village that was well worth the trip. We drove there and it was about 2 hours' drive from Marvao (to the south) or about 3 hours from Porto. For the last one hour or so in any direction, it comprises country roads going through villages (with 50-100 km/h speed limit) and the villages have a typical Portuguese feel to them too - in contrast to Monsanto, they do not look touristy in the least, although we did not stop in them due to time constraints.
We used Google Maps to find our way. Close to Monsanto, you will pass the village of Relva and then ascend the mountainside. There is a car park on your right just after a hairpin bend. You can park here or drive further up to another car park on the right with a wall, cannons and great views. They're both free and together have about 15 spaces.
The village itself has very helpful (probably recently placed) signs throughout to direct you to points of interest. There are a few small shops and cafes dotted around near the entrance. There is even a tourist office and two free public toilets. The narrow lanes are lovely to walk along, but there are steep gradients up and down and lots of stray cats around. Boulders are scattered around (more higher up) and there are 4-5 dramatic boulders with houses wedged next to them. It is easy to wander here for an hour or so at least.
In contrast to previous reviews, I did not find the local villagers to be unfriendly. They were helpful and friendly and seemed accustomed to tourists.
We used Google Maps to find our way. Close to Monsanto, you will pass the village of Relva and then ascend the mountainside. There is a car park on your right just after a hairpin bend. You can park here or drive further up to another car park on the right with a wall, cannons and great views. They're both free and together have about 15 spaces.
The village itself has very helpful (probably recently placed) signs throughout to direct you to points of interest. There are a few small shops and cafes dotted around near the entrance. There is even a tourist office and two free public toilets. The narrow lanes are lovely to walk along, but there are steep gradients up and down and lots of stray cats around. Boulders are scattered around (more higher up) and there are 4-5 dramatic boulders with houses wedged next to them. It is easy to wander here for an hour or so at least.
In contrast to previous reviews, I did not find the local villagers to be unfriendly. They were helpful and friendly and seemed accustomed to tourists.
Written 17 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
João M
Lisbon69 contributions
Aug 2019
Not possible to describe the views. Just the photos give a little bit of the wonder.
In the neighborhood you can find good places for pedestrian walks and radical activities.
In the neighborhood you can find good places for pedestrian walks and radical activities.
Written 24 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thomdamo
Bethesda, MD6 contributions
Sept 2018
An amazing village cut into massive boulders. We stayed at the Casa Pires Mateus. Wonderful room at a reasonable price. Had a fantastic dinner at the Adega Tipiica O Cruzeiro,
Written 5 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nerium A
St. Augustine, FL172 contributions
July 2018 • Couples
The village of Monsanto is the oldest in Portugal and the homes are built in, around, and under the boulders. There is parking at both the base of the village and a little further up should you not want to walk up the steep inclined roads. Restrooms and small markets are available as well on the way up. We decided to park at the bottom and take the 20 min walk to the fortress at the top. Along the way you can see the still existing homes and pig pens from the era. Many are also in ruins along the path. At the very top sits a very primitive Castle or "fortress" as it is not Castle like. You can tell it does not look anything like a Castle for its time was still early in Castle architecture. But, quite a structure. Once inside you can walk the walls as the did back then. Be mindful that good hiking shoes are needed as nothing there has changed. You will be amazed of the aerial view of the city down below and can only imagine what life was like early on in Portugal's history. There is a church to visit as well and a ruin of a church. The walk is steep both ways but an experience non the less. There is no fee.
Written 22 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rich M
Washington DC, DC45 contributions
July 2018 • Family
Breathtaking. Perched on a hill with 360 degree views of the surrounding countryside. Small, winding, enchanting streets. Flowers on window sills. Friendly neighbors. The castle ruins and surrounding trails are a great place to spend a day hiking. Feels much more undisturbed than equally charming villages in Italy and France.
It’s on a hill which means you do a lot of uphill and downhill walking. Not the easiest for kids, but we strapped our 1.5 year old in the Baby Bjourn.
A must see if you’re gonna be in the area! Not sure how you would get here without a car.
It’s on a hill which means you do a lot of uphill and downhill walking. Not the easiest for kids, but we strapped our 1.5 year old in the Baby Bjourn.
A must see if you’re gonna be in the area! Not sure how you would get here without a car.
Written 7 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael F
Tel Aviv, Israel597 contributions
Sept 2016 • Friends
This is a very picturesque village with stone houses build into and around huge boulders! Unbelievable!
I highly recommend to walk up to the castle, from there you get breathtaking views!!!
I highly recommend to walk up to the castle, from there you get breathtaking views!!!
Written 21 October 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael
Mannheim, Germany63 contributions
Mar 2016 • Friends
During our roadtrip in Portugal Monsanto seemed to be the most portuguese village we encountered. You need to be very lucky if someone speaks english (luckily there is google translate :-) ).
Our hosts were extremely friendly and gave quite an atmosphere of a warm family (which they actually were).
The village itself is so far the funniest village I encountered as some houses are simply build together or even inside huge rocks.
P.S.: Surprisingly I had the best octopus for dinner I ever had so far (better than any fish restaurant I tried at the coasts in Portugal) - unfortunately I can't remember the name or rather we had no idea which restaurant it was when we arrived there. As a hint: it has a great panoramic view towards the "coast side".
Our hosts were extremely friendly and gave quite an atmosphere of a warm family (which they actually were).
The village itself is so far the funniest village I encountered as some houses are simply build together or even inside huge rocks.
P.S.: Surprisingly I had the best octopus for dinner I ever had so far (better than any fish restaurant I tried at the coasts in Portugal) - unfortunately I can't remember the name or rather we had no idea which restaurant it was when we arrived there. As a hint: it has a great panoramic view towards the "coast side".
Written 15 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chileice
Spain2,872 contributions
July 2018 • Couples
I have been here twice and would go back again. The first time, I went in the day and the second time, I went at night. The night time visit was better than the day. Less people, more parking and an eerie beauty that only the rocks of Monsanto can exude. Come at sunset and watch a spectacular finish to the day and then roam the quiet streets as the lights come on and create a whole new world. You DO want to see this place!
Written 22 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Olá! Estou em Lisboa e quero muito conhecer Monsanto. Não tenho interesse em alugar carro. Qual seria uma maneira para chegar até a Aldeia? Agradeço! ☺️
Written 12 May 2022
Ou se trouve la maison à la porte rouge?
Written 8 October 2019
C'est dans une petite population portugaise. Il s'appelle Monsanto. Il est près de la frontière avec l'Espagne et à environ 50 kilomètres de Castelo Branco (ville portugaise).
Written 9 October 2019
Gostaria de saber se tem passeios turisticos com guias saindo de Castelo Branco para Monsanto. valor e tempo de duração
Written 28 January 2019
Não tem. É fácil chegar até a aldeia e consegue andar sozinha pela aldeia. Vale muito o passeio.
Written 15 March 2019
I'd like to know about what to see in Monsanto and the surrounding area. And good places to eat, especially on New Year's Day
Written 4 December 2016
I think the village itself is the main attraction. Walking around the village, seeing all the amazing little cottages and walking up to the castle are the main things we did in Monsanto. Just wander. We loved it and wished we could have spent more than one night. A very peaceful and unique village.
Written 4 December 2016
We will be in Monsanto over the New Year holiday, and we'd like to know what to do in the village and the surrounding area. Also good places to eat and to have a meal on New Year's Day
Written 4 December 2016
Hi,
Sorry, I cannot help you much. We read about Monsanto on the net and travelled there for one night and 2 days from our home near Tomar, Portugal, so we didn't see much else of the area.
In the village there is little to do other than wander the streets and be amazed at the huge stones, etc. There were some touristy shops (which we didn't bother with) and old ladies making things to sell on their doorsteps.
I'm not sure if the shops or the cafes will be open on N. Y. Day as some of the cafe/restaurants were already closed in October. If you google Monsanto restaurants there may be phone numbers and you could contact the owners.
If you like towns (and we don't!) Castelo Branco is not far from Monsanto and I'm sure they would be more likely to have places open over the holidays.
Hope this helps.
Written 6 December 2016
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