4. The Alentejo
The name literally means “beyond the Tejo”, and this region stretches from the River Tejo (Tagus) southward to the chain of mountains which forms the boundary with the Algarve.
This is a warm and sultry region during the Spring and Summer months and boasts the most hours of sunshine all year round. It is the region of big skies and starry, balmy nights. It is the agricultural heart of Portugal where life is slow, sleepy, simple and steeped in tradition. Its terrain provides a remarkable contrast to the other, more hilly and luscious regions in the country. It is an area of expansive, open countryside peppered with cork trees, olive groves, pinewoods and vineyards. The region is famous for its fine wines and its horse-breeding. Roadside fruit stalls offer the fresh fruit of the season. The Alentejo also includes some wonderfully preserved towns and villages and endless stretches of deserted sandy beaches along its wild Atlantic coastline.
Places to visit would have to include the world heritage site of ‘Evora’, known as ‘The White City’ and formerly the capital of Portugal and seat of government; the ancient town of ‘Arraiolos’ famous for its traditional hand-made rugs and magnificent views of the Alentejo countryside, and the mystical frontier town of Monsaraz, sitting high inside its ramparts, overlooking the Alentejo plains and enjoying some of the most breathtaking sunsets in the country. Also the fronteir town of Elvas with its impressive acqueduct, and the castle town of Estremoz.