When visiting the Peneda-Gerês national park in the North of Portugal, there is one thing you will notice all over the tiny mountain villages - espigueiros, which translates as granaries.
Before tarmac roads, when these villages were even more remote, the locals had to be self-sufficient in order to survive.
These rural granite constructions were built and used to store grain and to protect the crops from predators, and bad weather. They are usually positioned high on a hill, with a roof with a cross on the top.
In the village of Soajo, the oldest is thought to date from 1782, but the whole cluster was constructed between the 18th and 19th centuries and is one of the big tourist attractions of the region.
The espigueiros of Soajo are absolutely spectacular - they are perched on a point which has wonderful views of the surrounding landscape, and a trip there just before sunset is quite magical.
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