BACK in 1938, the Portuguese ruler António Salazar hit on the idea of celebrating his country's rural way of life and duly sponsored a nationwide competition to find "the most Portuguese of Portuguese villages".

The vote was won by Monsanto, a quiet hamlet deep in Portugal's rural heartland.

The community was presented with its prize - a silver cockerel, which to this day, stands proud on the roof of the 14th-century tower overlooking the village.

Monsanto is built around an extremely steep hill, but what makes the village remarkable is the huge rough boulders that are used as part of walls for the houses - in some cases roofs consist of a single block of stone.

The cottages are somehow built inside, around and beneath these gigantic granite boulders, and even squeezed between them.

High above the village rises a craggy fortress, parts of which pre-date the arrival of the Moors in Portugal in the seventh century. It is said that Christian knights were buried in hollowed-out rocks of the stronghold.

It's a hard climb to the castle, but very much worth the effort, with stunning 360-degree views, stretching for miles, of the plains below.

And along the cobbled lanes carved from rock on the way up are the locals, a large proportion of whom seem to be wizened old ladies in widow's black, sitting outside their homes, gossiping and knitting.

Since winning its "typical village" title, Monsanto has been protected with building regulations. Situated inland in the centre of Portugal, near the Spanish border, it is a short drive from the country's first geopark, the Naturtejo, which is part of Unesco's Global Geopark Network.

The Naturtejo boasts one of the largest concentrations of vultures in Europe, and visitors can watch them circle overhead as they hunt for food in groups; while at ground level, deer enjoy the sheer scale of their terrain.

There are a number of themed trekking routes, like the Fossil Route, for exploring the pre-historic rock formations, and the Vulture Route, for the birds of prey.

Visitors can go hiking, rock-climbing, horse-riding, birdwatching, kayaking, canoeing, fishing and cycling - even go on a 4x4 safari.

If you prefer to have all that wildlife and wilderness at arm's length just outside your bedroom window, head to the Hotel Rural da Poupa.

It is within the park and has just been awarded the title of Best Rural Hotel in Europe 2007 by the International Association of Rural Proprietors.

The award recognises the preservation work the hotel undertakes of the flora and fauna in the region, including wild boar and two pairs of imperial eagles.

This is frontier country and for centuries used to be a thriving centre for contraband - the hilly paths made it an ideal terrain for smugglers.

Nowadays there is nothing to show where the Spanish border lies, except for a dilapidated hut in the middle of nowhere which was once occupied by a solitary border guard. Its stone walls are now covered in lovers' graffiti.

The days of smuggling may be over, but local people enjoy keeping up old traditions by going on walks along those paths in the silence of midnight, and navigate by the light of the full moon, just like their ancestors did for hundreds of years.

factfile

  • TAP Portugal fly to Lisbon three times a day from Heathrow (from £86 return) and from Gatwick twice a day (from £95 return). For details call 0845 601 0932 or visit flytap.com
  • For information on Portugal and the Geopark call the Portuguese National Tourist Office on 0845 355 1212 (local call), email herdade. poupa@monfortur.pt or visit visitportugal.com
  • Hotel Rural Herdade da Poupa, Rosmaninhal, 6060 Castelo Branco - (+351) 277 470 000, email herdade.poupa@ monfortur.pt or visit www. monfortur.pt
  • Hotel Fonte Santa, Termas de Monfortinho, 6060-072 Monfortinho - (+351) 277 430 300, email hotel.fonte.santa @monfortur.pt or visit www.monfortur.pt