Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bairro, this quarry has more than a thousand individual prints, and is one of the most im-
portant locations for sauropod prints in the world. The visit starts with a 20-minute video
in Portuguese, then you take a 1.5km walk around the quarry, first seeing the prints from
above then walking among them.
These, the oldest and longest sauropod tracks in the world, record walks in the mud a
trifling 175 million years ago. The dinos would have been stepping through carbonated
mud, later transformed into limestone. As you walk across the slope you can clearly see
the large elliptical prints made by the hind feet and the smaller, half-moon prints made by
the forefeet.
Mira de Aire
( 244 440 322; www.grutasmiradaire.com ; Mira de Aire; adult/child €6.20/3.60; 9.30am-8pm Jul-Aug,
9.30am-7pm Jun & Sep, 9.30am-6pm Apr-May, 9.30am-5.30pm Oct-Mar; ) Portugal's largest cave sys-
tem, 14km southeast of Porto de Mós is very touristy and old-fashioned, although the
caves themselves are impressive. The 45-minute tour's spiralling 110m descent leads
through psychedelically-lit chambers to a final cavern containing a lake with a rather
hokey fountain display. There's also a children's zoo here and an aquapark. There are
three buses weekdays from Porto de Mós (€2.45, 35 minutes). From July to mid- Septem-
ber there's also weekend service.
CAVES
Grutas de Alvados &
Grutas de Santo António
( 249 841 876, 244 440 787; www.grutasalvados.com ; adult/child per cave €5.80/3.80, both caves €9/6;
10am-7pm Jun-Aug, 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5.30pm Sat & Sun Sep-May) These caves are about 15km
southeast of Porto de Mós, and 2km and 3.5km, respectively, south of the N243 from
Porto de Mós to Mira de Aire. Discovered in 1964, they are the spiky smaller cousins of
Mira de Aire, with similarly disco-flavoured lighting.
Buses between Porto de Mós and Mira de Aire can drop you at the caves turn-off on the
N243, but it's a steep uphill walk from there.
CAVES
Sleeping
Pousada de Juventude Alvados
( 244 441 202; www.pousadasjuventude.pt ; Barreira de Água, Alvados; dm €13, d with private/shared bathroom
€36/32;
HOSTEL
) This friendly, sparkling modern place 8km southeast of Porto de
Dec-Oct;
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