Central Way
Roncão < > Grândola
Stage 9
In this village, immortalized by the poet and singer Zeca Afonso in the song Grândola Vila Morena, which served as a symbolic hymn during the revolution of April 25, 1974, we can still visit the main church. But, if the weather is good, the best will be to enjoy and take a leap down to the Atlantic coast for a refreshing dip, a fantastic sunset and a nice meal of fresh fish.
Otherwise, you can still enjoy the gastronomic offer of the village, whose regional sweets include the Bolo das Rosas (Roses Cake) and the Alcomonias. Amazing delights! At the end of August, the village hosts the great Feira de Agosto, the largest fair in the coast of Alentejo, with handicrafts, small taverns and a festival dedicated to horse riding.
On the side of the Tourism Office building, a sculpture evokes D. Jorge de Lencastre, Prince of the Kingdom and Master of the Order of Santiago, who assigned a charter to Grândola in the 16th century. He is using a coat of arms that, besides the spatharii cross of the Order, bears the boar which is at the origin of the legend of the village name’s foundation, originally “Grandolha”.In the village, the main church is also worth visiting. It was built in the first decades of the 16th century, after a visit to the village by D. Jorge de Lencastre, at the time master and visitor of the Order of Santiago. The interior was enriched in the baroque period with gilded wood altarpieces of remarkable quality, and the Order of Santiago’s cross is displayed on the triumphal arch.In 1513, the same D. Jorge de Lencastre, master of the Order of Santiago, visited the Igreja de Santa Margarida da Serra, which he found very damaged. The temple as it is known today is the result of a great reform accomplished in the 17th century, which privileged an austere and simple logic. Its porch certainly housed some travelers in transit through Grândola mountain range. Inside, the pulpit main face was decorated with the cross of the Order.
Fountain of Santa Margarida da Serra
Built in 1843, as indicated by the inscription on the pediment, this fountain was an essential point of support for travelers between Grândola and Santiago do Cacém, through Grândola mountain range.
Main Church of Grândola
Built in the 18th century, the building of the former Paços do Concelho de Grândola (Town Hall) is a typical local civilian equipment of that period, composed of two floors with a bell tower. Two prisons were operating on the lower floor; while the conference rooms of the county council and court were on the upper floor. Deactivated in the 20th century, it serves other purposes today but remains as a patrimonial piece of greater autarchic relevance to the village. Grândola has, of course, its Praça da Liberdade (Square of Liberty). Inaugurated on April 25, 2012, it illustrates the importance of the village in the Revolution of April 25, 1974, also called “Carnation Revolution”, which ended the authoritarian regime of the Estado Novo. It also paved the way for the end of the colonial war and the establishment of a transition period for a democratic regime. In the square stands a memorial by the artist Bartolomeu Cid dos Santos that includes a pavement with the shape of a carnation. In the memorial are also inscribed the verses of the song Grândola Vila Morena, by Zeca Afonso, which soon became one of the hymns of the Revolution and the following period.
Pego da Moura Dam
Recognized at the beginning of the 20th century as a Roman dam, it must have been built in two phases, between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD. C. The retaining wall is about 40 meters long, by almost 3 meters wide, which allowed to define a dam with a capacity of more than 2 km.
and also…
August Fair − August
Freedom Race − April
Festivities in Honnor of Nossa Sr.ª da Penha − May
April 25th Memorial
Composed of an elliptical wall, a large blue carnation, whose stem goes to the base of the monument, as if it was breaking through the soil, is painted in the central circle. At the bottom of the circle is a rectangle with the names of many of the Captains of April who participated in the Revolution, while on the sidewalls you can see the music score and lyrics of Grândola, Vila Morena song.
We escape the national road N120, looking for a passage on the right under the motorway IC33, on a side street that will take us to the village of Cruz de João Mendes. We pass through the center of the village and look for the exit through the wide macadam road of Rua da Eira, which follows the unfinished work of a motorway. We leave this road 2.5 km later, turning left into an abandoned concrete tunnel, seeping into the heart of the Grândola mountain range.
We walk isolated in the middle of nature, between the vegetation that thickens and where the cork oak dominates, although the true genocide that is reaching this emblematic tree becomes evident. With redoubled attention to signage, so that we don’t get lost, we end up on a hill that, further ahead, where it crosses the road, is identified by a sign as Corte Esporão. We continue to the left, on the road, until we find the N120 road, which “picks us up” again there. Several signs indicate the directions of the pedestrian routes and the GR11-E9, but it is the workshop of the locksmith Frank Peters, right in front, that attracts our attention.
With our backpack heavier with some iron items, we re-enter the N120 for a few moments until entering the village of Santa Maria da Serra. We look for lunch and, to “digest”, we visit the village, starting with the House Museum Manuel Chainho. Then, the church of Santa Margarida da Serra renovated in the 20th century but already described as “badly damaged and in such a way that no mass should be said in it” in 1513. Next to the church, we climb the viewpoint staircase, which offers us a magnificent view of the village and the mountains.
Next to the coffee shop Triunfo, we follow the road that gives access to several farms and rural tourism at km 2. But it is another kilometer ahead, right in front of an inhabited hill, that we must pay attention to curve to the right, descending an inclined path, with poor condition, through dense vegetation, that accompanies the valley formed by the water line. We are once again immersed in the bucolic scenery of Grândola mountain range and, after many curves and counter-curves, we arrive at the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Penha de França, at the top of an elevation. We reject the road leading there and we go down the trail on the left, which leads us to the valley of Grândola stream, which we follow until the N120 blocks our passage. We climb the pedestrian aerial passage to overcome the IC1 and enter in Grândola, first by Rua das Pontes and then by Rua Vasco da Gama, until the square where the Tourism Office is located.
Tips
Always carry water, supplies, sunscreen, a hat, waterproof, comfortable shoes, and a map.
Where to Sleep
Herdade das Barradas da Serra
Hotel D. Jorge de Lencastre
Support
CTT Post Office
Bank/Cash Dispenser
Tourism Office +351 269 750 429
Public Entities
City Council
+351 269 750 429
Health
Grândola Health Center
+351 269 450 200
Pharmacy
Points of Interest
Nossa Senhora da Penha Hermitage
Main Church
São Sebastião Church (Sacred Art Museum)
Museum Nucleus of São Pedro Church and Collection
Sacred Art Museum
D. Jorge Square
Frayões Metello House
Monument to Liberty
Pego da Moura Dam
Eco-park Montinho da Ribeira
USEFUL CONTACTS
Emergency: 112
Forest Fires: 117
Grândola Fire department:+351 269 498 450
GNR − National Republican Guard: +351 269 242 600
CODE OF CONDUCT
Do not leave the marked and signaled route. Do not approach cliffs. Pay attention to the markings. Do not dispose of organic or inorganic waste during the trail, take a bag for this purpose. If you see garbage, collect it, help us to keep the Paths clean. Beware of livestock, don’t bother the animals. Leave Nature intact. Do not collect plants, animals or rocks. Avoid making noise. Respect private property, close gates and barriers. Don’t light fires and be careful with cigarettes. Do not vandalize the Paths signage.
