Discover the Alentejo
The sun is more golden in the Alentejo. Fall for the charm of this light, and explore the nature in the region.
Travel through the Serras d'Ossa and Monfurado or explore the Serra de São Mamede Nature Park; discover a whole unique habitat in the Sado Estuary and feel the calm of the reservoir waters.
Go and discover the coast, a continuous beach from Tróia to Sines, and then carry on into wilder scenery, with idyllic coves hidden between cliffs.
Rediscover the past of the Alentejo, by following a route that includes the 'towns' of São Cucufate and Pisões. Travel from the Neolithic Age to the Middle Ages round the archaeological circuit of Castro da Cola, and delve into the ruins of Miróbriga.
Learn about the Alentejo identity, stitched into each thread of the Arraiolos rugs, instilled in the marble, in the thoroughbred Lusitanian horses and in the delicious Alentejo wine and bread. In Beja, discover the secrets of the plain, and in Monsaraz, climb up to the 'eagle's nest'. By the Guadiana, let yourself be enchanted by stories of the frontier and the lands by the river, and in Campo Branco, learn about the culture of the open plains and their wealth of bird life.
But if you are looking for excitement, you will not be disappointed: the Alentejo is also a favourite setting for extreme sports. You can tour the region on horseback or mountain bike, go canoeing on the rivers or go skydiving. Or else you can explore an African savannah on a safari in the heart of the Alentejo.
Let yourself go in the Alentejo, and don't forget the gastronomic delicacies. Discover the cheeses of Serpa, Évora and Nisa; follow an olive oil route around the olive presses and co-operatives, and collect the region's herbs and aromas. And finally, for dessert, get a taste of heaven on earth by sampling the divine sweets from the kitchens of the convents.
Évora
Topped by an imposing cathedral, Évora is laid out over a gently sloping hill rising out of the huge Alentejo plain. It guards its historic centre with a vast outer wall and represents a valuable cultural legacy that UNESCO has classified World Heritage.
The city, with its narrow streets of Moorish origin contrasting with squares where the light floods in, holds two millennia of history.
Conquered in 59 B.C. by the Romans, they named it "Liberalitas Julia". In this period, Évora gained great importance as can be witnessed from the remains of that time: the ruins of a fine temple dated towards the end of the second century, various parts of the wall and the gateway more recently called Dona Isabel in addition to the remains of thermal baths below what is now the Municipal Council building. Little remains of the Visigoth period (5th - 8th centuries). There then followed the Moorish period begun with the city's conquest by Tárique. This lasted through to Christian reconquest in the 12th century. Yeborah, as it became known, had already received an indelible Moorish influence, most clearly seen in the Mouraria neighbourhood.
After the Reconquest, in addition to between the inner and outer walls, urban development moved beyond the city's walls.
The city was home to the court of various Portuguese kings of the first and second dynasties. During this period it was endowed with various palaces and monuments, particularly during the reigns of kings João II and Manuel (15th and 16th centuries).
Wander its streets and absorb the secret soul that a diverse range of cultural influences has laid down in this city of the World. There are also excellent restaurants and bars, esplanades, arts and handicraft stores and the youthful nature of those attending its university all adding up to a dynamic of the present with its roots very firmly in the past.
Alentejo Dams
The traditional dryness of the Alentejo countryside has been changing over recent decades due to the invasion of calm lakes surrounded by greenery. These offer numerous pleasures to tourists and have radically changed the region's natural and agricultural landscape.
Pivotal for the development of irrigation, and for supplying towns with water, the dams are wonderful places to enjoy nature, observe the flora and fauna and indulge in water sports.
With the Alqueva dam, the Alentejo gained the largest artificial lake in Europe, but many other dams have become idyllic settings for peaceful holidays.
You can see wild duck and other water birds at the dams of Caia and Roxo. Or forget about the rest of the world at Maranhão, savouring the feeling of isolation induced by the pine and eucalyptus trees in the surrounding hills. You can bathe at the river beach of Odivelas or Tapada Grande, take a boat trip on the lake at Alvito, have a picnic at Pêgo do Altar or fish peacefully at the large lake of Santa Clara, whose banks alternate between wheatfields and dense thickets of trees. Or else you can just listen to the chirping of the birds amid the silence of the lake at Vale do Gaio. You can go canoeing or angling, and the Alentejo lakes are excellent for water sports. Montargil is great for windsurfing or water-skiing.
Yield to the temptation of rural tourism and have a few days rest, and appreciate the pleasures of the simple life in the country. Contemplate all the splendour of nature in the little paradises of the Alentejo lakes.
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