6001 - Museum of Prehistoric and Sacred Art in the Tagus Valley, Mação
PR1-MAC-ROUTE OF THE HEAD OF THE CROSS
Follow our suggestion and get to know better the soul of this whole territory at the Museum of Prehistoric and Sacred Art in the Tagus Valley, where you will be surprised by its very rich archaeological collection. The central theme is rock art and the themes of the symbolic and the sacred over time, although its ethnographic aspect deserves equal attention. Note that the museum has ramps and lift for disabled access and also offers a tactile route totally designed for the blind and visually impaired. In some parishes there are also small museum nuclei dedicated to the local heritage and that invite to know better the history and people of this region.
6019 - Mação's Mother Church
PR1-MAC-ROUTE OF THE HEAD OF THE CROSS
If there is one building that stands out among the houses of the village of Mação it is its Mother Church, dedicated to Our Lady of Conception. With almost 5 centuries of history (the temple was built at the time when the county of Mação was formed, although today there are no remains of the medieval temple), the Mother Church of Mação surprises for its magnificence, but above all for its interior. The interior is made up of three naves, with round archery supported by Doric columns, a main altarpiece, gilded woodcarvings in the national style, and panels of polychrome pattern tiles, dating from 1644, and on the front of the main altar was painted a reproduction of the 'Last Supper', by Domenico Ghirlandaio, executed in 1931 by the Italian painter Leopoldo Battistinie.
6028 - Water mirror from Ribeira de Eiras
A few kilometres from the centre of Mação village and on the edge of a municipality, district and province, is a place that is both welcoming and impressive. On the other side is Alentejo. Can you believe it? Not all Alentejo is on the left bank of the Tagus. If you have time, prepare the basket for a picnic, you will hardly find a place as pleasant as this to extend the towel and enjoy the bucolic atmosphere. And if it's hot, don't hesitate to dive into the generous stream of clear, fresh water.
6038 - Miradouro do Cabeço da Cruz, Mação
PR1-MAC-ROUTE OF THE HEAD OF THE CROSS
For many, this is the belvedere of excellence if you want to have an overview of the village of Mação. At sunset, it is especially beautiful to watch there at nightfall. When you reach the top, where you will find a rocky formation, you feel like staying there, still, taking a deep breath, just to feel the magic of the moment better. Whether it's the case or not, it's very worth knowing this place.
6043 - Mação Bridge / Ladeira d'El-Rei Bridge (Roman)
PR1-MAC-ROUTE OF THE HEAD OF THE CROSS
It is at the entrance of the village and the most attentive will easily find it, especially if they decide to explore the village on foot and if this walk includes a trip to the Bairro de Santo António, at the gates of Mação, a privileged place for a panoramic view over the enchanting land of the 3A's. Better known as Ponte Romana, the Ponte da Ladeira d'El-Rei has two perfect turn arches, one of them later reinforced with a broken arch, rampant board, protected by a parapet, and upstream carhamares.
6056 - Chão do Brejo Falls
PR2-MAC-ROTA OF BREJO AND BANDO OF SANTOS
There is much to discover next to the Chão do Brejo Picnic Park, one of the most pleasant places in Mação county, including its famous Panoramic Swing, the Miradouro and the Cascades. With a privileged location right in the heart of Serra do Bando, the waterfalls of Chão do Brejo are the deserved reward after snaking long minutes along the PR2 trails. Along the way, venture out to discover the freshness of the mysterious galleries you'll find along the way and feel yourself travelling back in time. If it weren't for the birds chirping around the waterfalls, you would only hear the song of the water. Do you like the idea? Go on, the path is marked, you can't be wrong.
6058 - Brejo's Picnic Park
PR2-MAC-ROTA OF BREJO AND BANDO OF SANTOS
It has long been the favourite picnic park of those who visit Mação, and of local families, and rightly so. If Mação had the shape of a house, this Picnic Park would be the main living room, that place where everybody fits in and where everybody feels good, either fraternizing or enjoying the simple pleasures of life. The shadows invite for a break and the available infrastructures (WC, Tables, Fountain and Parking, for example) offer all the conditions for a memorable afternoon (or day - there is much to see around here).
6061 - Serra do Bando dos Santos Viewpoint
PR2-MAC-ROTA OF BREJO AND BANDO OF SANTOS
Mação has breathtaking views that are located all over the municipality. The Serra do Bando belvedere is one of the most emblematic and one that offers the most fascinating landscapes, wherever you look. Visiting this place is inspiring and relaxing, giving us a new perspective of this territory, its strengths and opportunities. A truly obligatory stopping place, especially for instagramers and photographers, climbing to the Serra do Bando belvedere is a memorable experience.
6063 - Mação's Panoramic swing
PR2-MAC-ROTA OF BREJO AND BANDO OF SANTOS
In a municipality full of incredible and surprising corners like Mação, the difficult thing is to choose where to start, what to see immediately and what to see afterwards. The Panoramic Swing of the Serra do Bando is the new attraction that nobody wants to miss and it is easy to understand why. With an absolutely wonderful and relaxed view (they say that from the top of Serra do Bando, on clean days, you can see Serra da Estrela), the invitation is simple: sit down, take a swing and enjoy the view. How long has it been since you felt so free? This is a place to visit NOW. Go ahead.
6064 - Chapel Monte de São Gens
PR2-MAC-ROTA OF BREJO AND BANDO OF SANTOS
S. Gens Chapel: a quick google search will not take long to return results, and the images impress. There is a white spot, immaculate, that stands out in the midst of the total devastation of the fires, a white spot in the midst of so much black, coal and scorched earth, and the white spot is nothing more than the Chapel of S. Gens. There is a local legend about it worth knowing, visit the village of Santos, two steps away from Mação, and ask someone to tell you the story. You will be surprised.
6084 - Ponte Velha das Casas da Ribeira
PR7-ROUTE HOUSES OF RIBEIRA/CARATÃO (2021)
The Ponte de Casas da Ribeira, or Old Bridge, as it is known among the inhabitants of this village, dates back to the reign of D. Maria I, 18th century, more precisely 1778. As far as is known, it was built on the initiative of the inhabitants of Mação in order to avoid the drowning deaths that happened there regularly, although the money collected was not enough to pay for the work. Hence the petition sent to the queen to be granted the remaining amount to pay the masters and workers, and the monarch was sensitive to the request and ordered, then, that the debts be paid for the completion of the work.
6090 - Old Castle of Caratão
PR7-ROUTE HOUSES OF RIBEIRA/CARATÃO (2021)
Between Ribeira do Aziral and Ribeira do Caratão, there is another place loaded with History to discover, a new journey in time, now up to 3000 years BC. It is the Castelo Velho do Caratão, a place where you can still appreciate the ruins of an old castro erected there, besides the imposing cliffs that can be seen, here and there, on the top of several slopes. We also draw your attention to the abandoned village in the background and to the fabulous Moinho da Fagadosa, not too far away, with its stone walls and sails in the wind. If you have time, come down to Bica do Chorro.
6091 - Estreito Bridge, Aziral
PR7-ROUTE HOUSES OF RIBEIRA/CARATÃO (2021)
Between Castelo Velho do Caratão, about which you can read more information here, and Serra da Alfeijoeira, is the famous Aziral Strait, a valley of unique beauty and various charms, as is the case of Ponte do Estreito, built to serve the local people who so often needed to cross the stream to take care of the many gardens there, today practically all abandoned. This is also the village of Aziral, without inhabitants for several decades.
6089 - Bica do Chorro, Caratão Mação
PR7-ROUTE HOUSES OF RIBEIRA/CARATÃO (2021)
Less than two kilometres from the village of Caratão is Bica do Chorro, a place that is both inhospitable and impressive. To get there you have to equip yourself with appropriate clothes and shoes, nature presents itself here in a truly wild way, toasting the traveller, at the end of the walk, with a generous cascade of cold and clear waters.
6094 - Cobragança Archaeological Station, Caratão
PR7-ROUTE HOUSES OF RIBEIRA/CARATÃO (2021)
The rock art site of Cobragança, also known as Fragas do Diabo, is about 1 km from the village of Caratão. The access is easy and the walk enchanting. The ancient people named this place Fragas do Diabo (Devil's Fragances) because they did not understand the mysterious inscriptions, concentric circles, oval and rectangular shapes, among others, made in the rocks thousands of years ago, most probably during the so-called Late Bronze Age (1000 to 500 BC). Here is another piece of the rich heritage of rock art in the municipality of Mação.
6103 - Old fountain
PR9-MAC-ROUTE OF PENHASCOSO (2021)
From the centre of the village of Penhascoso, whoever takes the road through Estradão da Carregueira towards the village with the same name, does not expect to find a fountain with that magnificence there. The Fonte Velha de Penhascoso, built in 1828, is one of the most beautiful in the whole municipality of Mação, a fact not unrelated to the magnificent panel of tiles in shades of blue, its two spouts and the tank in stone.
6128 - Natural Miradouro da Serra do Corvo, Queixoperra
PR5-MAC-ROTA OF THE QUEIXOPERRA
On clean days, from there you can see the lands of Ribatejo, Alentejo and Beira Baixa, starting with the small village of Queixoperra, almost at your feet. For the discerning traveller, this is also a privileged spot for bird watching - as long as they have their binoculars with them. With or without birdwatching, the immense and invigorating landscape is well worth the trip up there.
6136 - Penha do Avento Waterfall, Aboboreira
PR14-MAC-ROUTE OF ABOBOREIRA (2022/23)
Less photographed than the famous Pego da Rainha waterfall, near the small village of Zimbreira (Envendos), the Penha do Avento waterfall, two steps away from the village of Aboboreira, is still the most imposing waterfall in the entire municipality. It is almost 10 metres steep, a vertiginous precipice when closely observed. If you have time, sit by the small lagoon and let yourself stay. Do as you like, but be sure to pay attention to the fauna, flora and geology that surround you. There are many secrets to be discovered there.
6169 - GEOSSITIO Poço das Talhas Marmitas das Azenhas, Queixoperra
PR5-MAC-ROUTE OF QUEIXOPERRA
Locked between the buttresses of the Ribeira do Rio Frio and surrounded by a refreshing vegetation, the picturesque watermills of Poço das Talhas, zealously recovered over several years by the people of the village of Queixoperra, are today one of the great attractions of the municipality of Mação, even because it is a geositium. Besides the pleasant space, even inviting for a picnic, some days it is also possible to watch the milling of cereals and learn a little about the maize cycle. Do as you like, but be sure to get to know this little hidden paradise that seems to be taken from a book of magical tales.
6139 - Cerro do Outeiro, Aboboreira
PR14-MAC-ROUTE OF ABOBOREIRA (2022/23)
It is the most picturesque village in the municipality of Mação with its steep and narrow alleys, dressed and cobbled, sometimes reminiscent of the wonderful xisto villages. It is like returning to Portugal from other times. Aimed as the oldest village in the municipality, it is also a precious place full of stories to discover. What most draws attention are the stone huts, some already in ruins, built up the slope, and the small fountain, which gives it a doubled charm.