Marta and Chester's Maleficent Adventures

3/15/2026

2026 – Europe – Week 3 – Our first 24 hours in Portugal

This is my very first time in Portugal, the country which produced such great explorers as Vasco da Gamma, the first European to reach India by the sea (1498) and Ferdinand Magellan who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth.

Portuguese mariner Bartolomeu Dias was the first to sail around the southern tip of Africa in 1488 and Pedro Álvares Cabral discovered Brazil in 1500.

And now we were here in the region of Alentejo known for traditional crafts, olive oil, and rural landscapes, far away from the famous Portuguese beaches. Before we headed to the beaches we had to get some Portuguese peaks first. This should no longer be a surprise to our readers.

The first peak was Serra de São Mamede, 1027m with a prominence of 661m and we simply drove up it! Crazy!

Serra de São Mamede has many towers and antennas. Maybe that is why there is a road to the summit.

What makes this summit distinct is its great swing. Not a common feature on the summits.

From the peak on a distant ridge we noticed a town, and then a castle. It looked like a crazy place. It was Marvão.

It is hard to see Marvão on this photo but our trained eyes always scan the horizon for some interesting features in the far distance. This is how we plan our trip here: get on top of a prominent mountain; find an interesting destination; drive there; enjoy; rinse and repeat! So far it’s been prooving a great tactic.

We had to see Marvão! It is easily accessible – we simply drove there and couldn’t not believe how special this place was! Portugal just knew how to surprised us on the very first day!