Alentejo

One of the largest of mainland Portugal’s five official Regions, the Alentejo occupies much of the south- central region of the country extending south from the River Tagus and bordering Spain to the east, the Algarve Region in the south and the Atlantic coast in the west.

The countryside of this essentially rural region varies considerably with fertile grasslands along the banks of the Tagus to the north-west, and numerous beautiful little villages and towns in the hills to the north-east – the land of many medieval castles. Further south the Alentejo becomes warmer and flatter and here are some of the most attractive towns in the region such as Évora, Vila Viçosa, Estremoz and Arraiolos.

Continuing south, rolling plains with huge numbers of olive and cork-oak trees – rich, fertile soil making this Portugal’s centre for agriculture, livestock and wood. And in the west, south of Lisbon, is the unspoilt coastline of the Atlantic with its magnificent long, sandy beaches and, in places, high sheer cliffs sheltering tiny coves. The climate in the Alentejo is mild overall but with regional variations – the temperature in winter in the north-east can go down to around 5ºC while mid-summer temperatures reach 33ºC or more in the south.

The two principal cities in the Alentejo are Évora and Beja. Évora – a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal – is a museum city: walls surround the centre where the major landmark is the Roman Temple of Diana, and there are many splendid aristocratic houses here displaying carved doors and windows and the famous glazed tiles of Portugal – the ‘azulejos’. Beja, further south, is a fascinating city: it received its name from the occupying Moors in the 6th century, and a variety of cultures have influenced the city and its region since pre-historic times. The ‘Museu Regional da Rainha Dona Leonor’ contains a wealth of items reflecting these cultures.

Other smaller towns in the Alentejo well worth visiting are Alvito, with pre-Roman origins and whose 15th century castle is now the Pousada; Estremoz, another historic town with a 14th century castle, also now the Pousada; Vila Viçosa, best known for the production of marble of the highest quality and whose palace was an official residence of the Dukes of Bragança the last Portuguese royal family; and Arraiolos, famous for its hand-woven rugs and tapestries.

Gastronomy

But the Alentejo is inherently rural, and this is reflected in the cuisine of this region – honest, varied and full of flavour. Particularly good are ‘ensopados de cabrito’ (kid stews), ‘carne de porco Alentejana’ (pork with coriander and clams), hare or rabbit with red beans and numerous lamb dishes. As this is Portugal there is an enormous variety of cakes and pastries; fruit, particularly melon, is of very high quality and the region produces several excellent cheeses, notably from Nisa, Serpa and Évora. The Alentejo is also an important wine-producing region – principally red wine – both in terms of its traditional full-bodied ‘earthy’ wines and latterly a newer style with intense aromas of fruit and more ‘new world’ in character.

Pousadas in the Alentejo: