The Ancient Beaches Cemetery at the Montedor Cliff Geosite is another notable Local Natural Monument where the exposed granite shows five fossilised coastal platforms/terraces, each at a different height above the current beach: about 18m, 13m, 8m, 5m and 3m. Each ‘ancient beach’ represents a prehistoric sea level (successive platforms shaped by ancient coastlines), which is why such diverse and ancient geological and archaeological structures, dating back to the Palaeozoic era, can be observed. Traces of biological activity can be seen on these terraces – for example, sea urchin lodgings and mineralised dune fields – which prove the existence of beaches tens of thousands of years ago. The Montedor hill itself is the result of an overflow of magma from the Bouça de Frade Plutonite.
Geossítio do Cemitério de Praias Antigas do Alacantilado de Montedor
