Mação brings together a range of themes for a stay: green hills and waterways, prehistoric rock art and megalithic monuments. There is also a cultural and religious trail, as well as local culinary traditions. You can tailor your trip to the landscape, history or bathing areas.

Hills, waterways and bathing areas

The hills of Bando dos Santos, Bando de Codes, Santo António, Amêndoa, Galega, Águas Quentes, Alfeijoeira, Casal and Moledo are scattered throughout the Mação area. Together, they form a green mosaic of great scenic interest. Springs and streams include Eiras, Coadouro, Boas Eiras, Pracana, Ocreza and Bostelim. The Ortiga, Pracana and Espelho de Água reservoirs, as well as the Tagus, also shape the waterways landscape. They create river beaches and bathing areas in Mação for residents and visitors. When choosing your excursions, you can therefore treat both the hills and the water as distinct landscape themes.

Rock art and archaeological sites

The history of the Museu de Mação began with the discovery of Bronze Age finds known as the “Tesouro do Porto do Concelho”. Another point of reference in time is a Palaeolithic rock engraving in the Ocreza Valley, dated to around 20,000 years ago. The Mação Rock Art Circuit connects the Ocreza Valley, the painted rock shelter of Pego da Rainha and Cobragança. The Cobragança rock art site is about 1.2 km from the village of Caratão in the municipality of Mação; several engravings remain visible on two rock surfaces.

Individual monuments also give history specific places. The Castro de S. Miguel da Amêndoa is designated a National Monument, and a visitor route is signposted. In Cardigos, the slate-built megalithic structure Anta da Laginha is part of the Lithos trail. Its low corridor is made of small blocks. The structure is associated with the gradual settlement of the interior by pastoral and farming communities. In Ortiga, Anta da Foz do Rio Frio has a large chamber and a corridor paved with stone slabs. It is said to have been built around 6,000 years ago and reused at least until around 4,000 years ago. Mação thus offers a range of archaeological themes: rock engravings, Bronze Age finds and megalithic monuments, each with its own forms of construction and historical context.

Trails, culture and local traditions

The PR1-MAC-Cross Head Path ends at the “Museum of Prehistoric and Sacred Art of the Tagus Valley”. The Path of the Sacred is part of this route: a cultural and religious trail rooted in local piety. For your planning, this trail offers a different cultural focus from the individual rock art sites and monuments. Local culinary traditions in Mação include honey, olives and presunto. You can consider this culinary side as a complement to the archaeological and landscape themes of your trip.

Getting there and bathing water quality

The A23 is the main road connection through the southern part of the municipality of Mação. Mação is also served by regular trains on the Linha da Beira Baixa. The municipality has Ortiga railway station, as well as the Barragem de Ortiga and Barca de Amieira stops in Envendos. If you are planning to travel by train, check the timetable for your travel date and take into account the stop relevant to your destinations. When choosing a hotel, you can coordinate your travel arrangements with the places you want to focus on during your stay.

For 2026, Praia Fluvial de Cardigos received the “Qualidade de Ouro” seal, awarded by Quercus for excellent bathing water quality. The award applies to 2026. Together with the river beaches and bathing areas across the municipality, Cardigos is a specific option for travellers wishing to include a swim in their plans.

Discover more destinations: Mação, Ortiga, Casalinho, Envendos, Cardigos, Samora Correia, São Nicolau, Pego

For the broader travel overview: Santarem.