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Alentejo, Portugal

The Alentejo is a region of unspoilt countryside and rural traditions, of fishing ports, Renaissance towns and medieval villages. From the rolling and very fertile plains of the south to the granite hills that border Spain in the north-east, the countryside varies considerably. This is one of Portugal’s poorest and least populated regions and covers almost a third of the country. There are several nature reserves boasting flora and fauna of all descriptions, including some rare and protected species.

Evora, Alentejo’s capital, is one of Portugal’s most agreeable towns, combining historical elegance with an informal ambience. One of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, Evora’s Moorish walled town centre houses important Roman remains as well as a host of other architectural and artistic treasures. The town’s many cafés and restaurants serve excellent food and fine local wines. Take a walk around the old town centre of Portalegre, with its 16th-century cathedral, handsome 17th-and 18th-century mansions and its striking old and new azulejos. The town is a good starting point for visiting the Parque Natural da Serra de São Mamede, a fascinating nature park, where more than half of Portugal’s birds nest. The sharp-eyed bird spotter will find vultures, eagles, kites and black storks. The area also includes charming medieval villages that, for the most part, have remained unchanged over time. Billed as a vila museu or an open museum, Mertola is a charming village with a stunning Moorish castle and a tangle of narrow streets full of monuments of historic interest. And from here it is only a short hop to the Parque Natural do Vale Guadiana. The huge variety of wildlife found here includes several rare and unusual species such as the black stork, the horned viper and the Iberian toad. Climb the castle ramparts in Mertola to get a bird’s eye view of the few remaining lesser kestrels, a species which is rapidly dying out.

A pretty spa town since Roman times, Castelo de Vide is a fortified hilltop village that is too good to miss. Within its 14th-century castle walls lies the 17th-century Capela de Nossa Senhora da Alegria, which contains fine tiles of the same period. In the Judiaria quarter, in the charming old part of the village, you can still see a door into a 13th-century synagogue. Among the most stunning of the region’s towns and villages is the medieval hilltop village of Marvao, which often features in Portuguese poetry. Climb the narrow, cobbled, winding lanes to the awe-inspiring castle and gaze out over a breathtaking panorama of the whole region.

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