Monsanto Attractions

About 10km/6mi northeast of Idanha-a-Velha, below the summit of a rocky hill, is the picturesque little town of Monsanto da Beira (alt. 758m/2,487ft), dominated by the ruins of a castle (fine view). With its trim white houses, sometimes hewn out of the rock, its steep and narrow lanes and its Celtic remains it is one of the most visited and most characteristic places in Beira Baixa - and in fact emerged from a competition in 1940 as "the most beautiful Portuguese village", although now only 250 people still live here.