The Details
Like most visitors to the capital, we love Lisbon – we love the people, the architecture, it’s galleries and museums, markets, restaurants and café bars. But sometimes you want to be out of the city, away from the crowds and the regular tourist hotspots. Cross south of Lisbon’s Tagus River and you’re in Alentejo: you’re ‘beyond the Tejo’, and into a region where rolling plains and rustic rural villages sit side-by-side with fairytale castles and medieval hilltop palaces.
The Romans were the first to tame this land – their regimented fields of wheat, olive farms and terraced vineyards still lie side-by-side with a wilder hotchpotch of ancient cork and chestnut trees. It’s a region that’s rich in history, from its neolithic standing stones and preserved Roman ruins, to its gilded cathedrals and grand aqueducts: the impressive monuments to a golden era, when the Portuguese were the pioneering explorers of Europe’s seaborn Age of Discoveries. For modern-day travellers, there’s a pleasant timelessness to many of its towns, and a unique character to the buildings you’ll see, the cuisine you’ll eat, and in the warm welcome you’ll receive from the people.
The regional capital Evora is a living museum, whose beautiful patchwork architecture reflects the history of Portugal itself – the Roman ‘Diana’s Temple’ sitting in the shadow of the Manueline cathedral, with day-to-day life centred around the 19th century Praca do Giraldo. In Estremoz, the ‘Cidade Branca’ famous for its fine white marble, you’ll sleep in the old palace of King Dinis and Queen Isabel. Their Torre das Tres Coroas tower points the way west to Elvas: the 16th century military stronghold which once protected Portugal’s eastern border: it towering Aqueduto da Amoreira is one of Alentejo’s most striking landmarks.
To the north, Marvao was also tasked with protecting the country from its strategically-important 800m high escarpment – today, it’s a peaceful village where you’ll unwind and admire the sweeping panoramic views across eastern Portugal with Spain beyond. Heading west, you’ll exchange Marvao for one final hilltop castle at Palmela, overlooking the protected Parque Natural da Arrabida – its secluded beaches and crystal clear seas are one of neighbouring Lisbon’s best kept secrets.
