High on the side of a small valley near the centre of the Góis region there is an outcrop of hard grey stone, upon which are inscribed mysterious signs and symbols that have intrigued historians since they were first discovered.
Looking west towards the summer sunset, this would have been a good place 4000 years ago to rest or maybe camp for the night, watching the last rays of the sun as it set over the hills towards the coast. Certainly the region’s ancestors were gathered at this site – perhaps to celebrate the sunset and tell stories – and to leave their enduring mark upon the rock. It is not known when these petroglyphs were carved - it was thought thay they date back to the early Bronze Age, although they could be from a much earlier time.
Today, if you are fortunate enough to be at Pedra Letreira at sunset, you will see the markings come to life as shadows fall into the deep-cut grooves in the stone. The dominant theory about the marks is that they appear to be engravings of stylised hunting and gathering tools, such as arrows, shields, nets and woven baskets. However, more recent research suggests that they could in fact be ancient symbols connected with the Old European Goddess religion. With reference to Marija Gimbutas' book 'The Language of the Goddess' (Thames and Hudson 1989) the markings bear distinct similarities to, for example, the 'comet' and 'net ' motifs that she describes and illustrates, both of which relate to the sacred aspect of the 'water of life'. Further research is needed to bring more light to bear on the mystery of the engravings.

The local people in the area say there were many more stones showing ancient rock art that were gathered for house-building, and that many of the local buildings incorporate ancient pictures. It is probable that Pedra Letreira survived because of its distance from habitation, and possibly because of the folklore attached to the site.

There is an old Portuguese poem that says:

Em frente à Pedra Letreira
Há três arcas em carreira 
Uma de ouro outra de prata
E outra de peste que mata

In front of Pedra Letreira
Are lined up three chests -
One is of gold, another of silver,
And the other of deadly pestilence.

We know that gold and silver are present in the hills of the Góis region. We also know that it is likely that these materials were traded since prehistoric times, and that one of the consequences of trade and interaction was the passing-on of contagious disease.

If you are travelling from Góis, take the N2 towards Pampilhosa da Serra, and follow for about 18km.  You will come to a main road junction – the road ahead is the N112, and the road to the right is the N2 (signed to Alvares and Pedrógão Grande.) Turn right on to the N2, then immediately right again on to a dirt track. (We would strongly advise parking your car at this point – firstly, the track is not well-maintained, secondly , it gives a far better sense of place to approach the stones on foot) Walk approx. 600m down the track, which leads directly to the stones.

N.B. If you are visiting the petroglyphs, please take care not to cause any damage to the site.