Quinta do Fariseu is a farm in the Coa valley in northern Portugal that sits on one of the great stories of European archaeology. In the 1990s, engineers preparing a dam on the Coa River came upon thousands of engravings carved on the schist rock faces along the valley, figures of horses, aurochs, ibex and deer, scratched into the stone by hunters thousands of years ago. Many date to the Upper Palaeolithic, some twenty thousand years old or more, which makes them as old as the paintings in the great caves of France and Spain. The find caused a public campaign, and the dam was cancelled, a rare triumph of heritage over engineering. Today the Coa Valley is a UNESCO site, together with its Spanish counterpart at Siega Verde.
The engravings are lightly incised and tricky to see, and the best viewing is in raking light, in the early morning or late afternoon, when the shadows make the lines show. Visits are by guided tour only, usually in four-wheel-drive vehicles and often with advance booking, and the guides can point out figures that you would otherwise miss. The tours run all year, though they can be cancelled in extreme heat, and it is sensible to book ahead in high season.
The countryside is a classic of the Douro region, with steep, dry hills, terraced vineyards, almond and olive groves, and old stone villages. The landscape is hot and dry in summer and cold in winter, with a remarkable spring when the almond trees bloom, normally in February. The Douro Valley, a short drive south, is a UNESCO wine region, and port wine comes from here.
For riding, the roads in this part of Portugal are good, with plenty of curves and little traffic. National roads wind across plateaus and drop into river gorges, and some of them are among the best motorcycle roads in the country. Surfaces can be rough in places, with patches of gravel, and in summer the heat is intense. Vila Nova de Foz Coa, 3.5 kilometres away, has fuel stations, restaurants and a good museum, the Coa Museum, which sits above the river and explains the finds. Torre de Moncorvo, a little further, is known for its almonds and iron ore. Local food is robust, with roast kid, cured sausages and the good wine of the region.