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 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.
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.
However, venturing inside the 16th century chapel, the remains of over 5,000 skeletons have been built into the walls, altar, and even the ceiling of the chamber.
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!
