The Alentejo

Just north of the Algarve, the Alentejo covers a third of Portugal’s territory yet remains a relatively well-kept secret. This is Portugal’s garden, the bulk of the region given over to huge cork plantations, wheat fields and vineyards.

Change happens slowly in the Alentejo. Farms here have passed from generation to generation since the time of the Romans. Where things have changed, it’s been done with consideration and a deep respect for the land and local culture. A number of working farms, for example, have been beautifully transformed into luxury hotels with wineries attached, providing a wonderful introduction to the Alentejo landscape.

Beja, in the lower Alentejo, is well worth visiting for its Roman ruins and impressive Moorish castle. Other notable attractions in the area include Serpa, a typical Alentejo market town inhabited since Celtic times; the village of Pias, renowned for its vineyards; and the former spa town of Moura, a surprisingly opulent place full of grand mansions, pretty squares and pedestrianised shopping streets. The region’s two UNESCO-listed towns, Évora and Elvas, are further north, as is the picturesque hilltop village of Monsaraz, which overlooks the Guadiana River and the Spanish border.