Monte Serves in Vialonga – a megalithic tomb on a hill near Lisbon

Monte Serves is a hill in the parish of Vialonga, part of the municipality of Vila Franca de Xira in Portugal's Lisbon District. It sits at roughly 38.894° N, 9.091° W, northeast of the capital. The site pairs a modest upland landscape with monuments thousands of years old, which makes it a rewarding stop for anyone curious about archaeology.

What is there to see at Monte Serves?

The main feature is the Monte Serves dolmen, a small megalithic tomb. It was built from limestone slabs on a roughly trapezoidal plan. Today the structure is incomplete: only the head chamber, a short corridor and part of the burial mound remain visible.

The dolmen stands on a small plateau east of the valley that separates Monte Serves from the height marked as the 311 m point on maps.

Who found the dolmen, and how old is it?

Octávio da Veiga Ferreira identified the tomb in 1972. It was excavated the same year under the direction of Christopher Thomas North. In 2014 new fieldwork began, aimed at defining the monument's architecture and its building sequence.

Radiocarbon dating placed at least one episode of use at the turn from the first to the second quarter of the 3rd millennium BCE. In other words, people were using this place more than 4,500 years ago. The results were published in a scholarly study of the Monte Serves tomb as a small megalithic sepulchre in the Baixa Estremadura region.

Fortifications in the Serra de Serves

The Serra de Serves range in Vialonga also holds three fortifications: Forte da Aguieira, Forte da Portela Grande and Forte da Portela Pequena. Together with the dolmen they give the hills historical interest as well as scenic appeal.

Planning a visit

Monte Serves is not a ticketed attraction. It is open-air terrain, so bring sturdy shoes and water. Information about the dolmen is available on the Vila Franca de Xira municipality website, in its heritage section for Vialonga. You can combine a visit with exploring the town of Vialonga and the surroundings of Vila Franca de Xira.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Monte Serves? In the parish of Vialonga, in Vila Franca de Xira, Lisbon District, Portugal.

What is the Monte Serves dolmen? A small megalithic tomb of limestone slabs on a trapezoidal plan. Its head section, a short corridor and part of the mound survive.

How old is the tomb? Radiocarbon dating shows use at least around the early second quarter of the 3rd millennium BCE, more than 4,500 years ago.

When was it discovered? In 1972, with new research carried out in 2014.

Are there other monuments nearby? Yes. The Serra de Serves holds three fortifications: Aguieira, Portela Grande and Portela Pequena.