Cromeleque dos Almendres

The largest stone circle of the Iberian Peninsula, older than Stonehenge.

At Cromeleque dos Almendres, a hillside of olive groves near Évora, about a hundred granite stones stand in a great oval of some sixty metres. It is the largest stone circle of the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest monuments of its kind in Europe, raised between the sixth and the third millennia before our era — older than Stonehenge.

The stone circle

The cromeleque of Almendres spreads down the slope of a gentle hill, its stones placed in a double horseshoe of ovals over phases of construction. Some keep engraved marks — circles, lines and dimples — and the whole monument follows the rhythm of the sun and the agricultural year. A separate menhir, the Menir dos Almendres, stands about a kilometre away, connected to the same landscape.

What to see

The great oval of standing stones, among the olive trees.
The engraved marks of the stones, seen in the morning or evening light.
The Menir dos Almendres, a short drive or walk away.
The plain of Évora, with the city and its monuments in the distance.

Visiting

The monument lies around fifteen kilometres from Évora, reached by a signposted dirt road from the road to Montemor-o-Novo; the stones are in a protected public space, and visits should respect the monument and the landscape around it. Confirm the access conditions with the official information of the municipality before the visit.