Perched atop a hill in the district of Castelo Branco, Portugal, lies one of the most unique and charming villages in all of the country. Monsanto’s buildings, built from the granite from the mountain beneath, are intertwined with the giant boulders that balance close to the summit. 

These colossal mounds of rock have been transformed into houses and animal pens, while others have been combined with buildings to form walls, roofs and internal architectural features. The location of Monsanto, close to the Spanish border and on the hill, means it has always been a defensive stronghold, but its appearance has barely altered since the medieval era. Despite lying in an arid and sparsely populated area of Portugal, the village alone makes the entire region worth visiting. 

The mountain Monsanto rises abruptly to the East of the Idanha-a-Nova municipality up to 2,487 feet above sea level. 

The earliest traces of man is from the Early Stone Age, dating back to the Ice Ages. Later, Romans settled at the base of the mountain. Traces from Visigothic in the early Middle Ages and even earlier Arab presence have been found in the area. 

Monsanto would become popularly known as "the most Portuguese village of Portugal" due to a government-sponsored competition that awarded 12 historic villages the distinction of “Most Portuguese Village” of their province in 1938.

A symbol of Portugal, the Silver Rooster, designed by Abel Pereira da Silva, was the coveted trophy in this competition and can be seen atop the Clock Tower (Lucano Tower) of Monsanto. 

Covering an area of around 47 square miles, as of 2011 it was home to just 828 inhabitants, offering visitors the perfect insight into the quiet life of a Portuguese village. 

The village also boasts an impressive castle, Castelo de Monsanto, at the very top of the hill. The site was likely the location of a fortified settlement during prehistory and has seen extensive repairing and conservation efforts following a large explosion in 1815 that destroyed much of the fortification.  

If you are willing to drive the distance to Monsanto, it’s definitely worth the visit. The whole village can be explored in around two hours, meaning it can be combined with a larger trip to the Portuguese-Spanish border. 

The drive takes just over three hours from Lisbon, via the A1 and A23, while from Porto it takes around three hours and 15 minutes, via the A25, both of which have tolls. 

You can even stay the night if you want to extend the day, with several good restaurants offering quieter and more intimate service in the evening after the day crowds have departed and small hotels and tiny houses available for rent. Sun Set House, for example, is a one-bed house, decked with authentic furniture and cobble walls, available for just £82 a night for two people, according to Booking.com. 

It should be worth noting, however, that cars are banned, so you will have to haul your luggage from the car park below up the steep cobbled streets. Once that's done though, you can enjoy a stay tucked beneath, or between, boulders, like generations of Portuguese villagers have done before you.