Alcantarilha's Capela dos Ossos

Portugal is home to several bone chapels, one of which is a short drive from the Red Chalet and found behind a church in the small village of Alcantarilha. 

The houses of the older, historic main street are clustered around the parish church, the Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Conceição. Alongside the main entrance of which you will find the Capela dos Ossos, Chapel of Bones, which is constructed completely of skulls and thigh bones, arranged in rows, side by side.

The Capela dos Ossos was created when a church and its graveyard were disturbed or relocated for some reason, and rather than bury them again, a chamber of the excavated bones would be built inside the new church. 

There are many to be found throughout Portugal, and this is one of the most famous of them.

The bone chapel in Alcantarilha is one of the more difficult to find, hidden away at the rear of the church, it is a dark chamber with an entrance so small you could easily walk right past it. This makes it quite an unnerving experience as you peer into the darkness to take a look at its grisly contents. Venturing further inside the 16th century chapel, we discover the remains of over 5,000 skeletons that  have been built into the walls, altar, and even the ceiling of the chamber. The result is an incredible sight, one that reminds us of the long history of even the smallest of the Algarve’s villages.

Only officially recognised as a village since 1999, Alcantarilha has grown considerably in recent years, with new developments and recently built townhouses, villas and apartments that extend towards Armação de Pêra

The water park Aqualand is situated outside the village on the EN125 in the direction of Lagoa. Its huge water slide (The Big One) can already be seen from miles away. The nearby Amendoeira Golf Resort consists of two great 18 hole golf courses, Oceânico Nick Faldo and Oceânico O’Connor. But for a true trip back to the past, visitors should certainly take a look at the Capela dos Ossos. What makes this particular example so unique is that its chamber is so small you will usually have it all to yourself, making for an intimate, if not altogether macabre, experience!