Alentejo – is situated in the south of Portugal, between the River Tagus and the Algarve. To the east, its frontier is with Spain and to the west it is bathed by the Atlantic Ocean. 

In the Alentejo, you travel naturally with and to history. The human presence in this region has been documented since the Palaeolithic period. Up to nowadays remains almost 100 monoliths.

In lots of locations can be found various structures which origin from the Roman times. Just look around to spot fortresses, temples, bridges, paved roads and pathways, sanctuaries, theatres, dams and aqueducts. The best examples can be found in Evora and Elvas.

In Mértola, the most Arabic town in Portugal, you can feel the climate of Arab occupation, which lasted almost 500 years in the south Portugal.

The whole of the landscape of the Alentejo is dotted with castles, forts, watchtowers and fortified towns and villages. Marvão can be considered as the paradigm of the history of most of the fortresses of the Alentejo.

Alentejo has much more to offer than just its history. Between the mountains and the ocean there are lots of activities and attractions for sports and relax, for friends and families, for young ones and for seniors.



10 reasons to visit Alentejo

1. The Cromeleque dos Almendres
It is a spectacular conjunction of 95 monoliths, some of which display engravings that are geometrical or astral in character. They can be found it various places but the finest expression is found in the Gruta (cave) do Escoural.
2. Portuguese Troia
Have you heard about Troia fort from Greek mythology? In Portugal, there is also a place called Troia, however, it is connected with the times of Roman Empire. Discover the region’s cultural heritage - the Troia Roman Ruins which actually reveal how the area was already rich in natural resources two thousand years ago.
3. Evora
The city presents all the epochs of its history - from the Roman to the Neoclassical. Evora was classified by UNESCO as A World Heritage Site. One day is not enough to visit the most important places of the city, such as the Roman Temple, the Chapel of Bones, the Cathedral of Santa Maria, the Palace of King D. Manuel, the Manueline Window and the Teatro Garcia de Resende.
4. Serpa PDO cheese
There are several known PDO kinds of cheese from Alentejo, but the Serpa cheese is the most famous. It is a cured sheep’s cheese, semi-soft and buttery in texture. There are only 12 council areas in Lower Alentejo where the climate, soil and pasture provide Serpa PDO cheese with the characteristics that make it a unique cheese.
5. Sweets, sweets and more sweets
There are hundreads, if not thousands to recipes. Any place you go, there are several kinds of sweets you MUST try. Throughout the Alentejo you can find the “nógados” – nougats, the “filhós” - puff pastries, the “bolos fintos” - fermented cakes and the “folares da Páscoa” - Easter cakes. Getting hungry to visit Alentejo?
6. Vincentina Route
To the south of Sines starts Southwestern Alentejo and Vicentina Coast Natural Park with over 340km of marked trails, for hiking and mountain bike, which make up the Vicentina Route, between Santiago do Cacém and São Vicente Cape.
7. Never-ending beaches
The Alentejo coast stretches from the mouth of the River Sado to Zambujeira do Mar, and will surprise you for being such a well preserved coastal area, with small havens of sun and beach. From the Troia Peninsula up to Sines, there are over 70km of sandy beach.
8. Surfing
Between Sines and Vila Nova de Milfontes you can find various places to practice surfing. Whether you are a Pro or just want to start, you will not get disappointed on the waves of Alentejo.
9. Canto Alentejano
It is a kind of Portuguese music based on vocal. It is a traditional two-part singing performed by amateur choral groups, characterized by distinctive melodies, lyrics and vocal styles, and performed without instrumentation. This music tradition was recognized on UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
10. Handicrafts
The rurality of Alentejo is strongly visible in the handicrafts of the region. The Olaria (pottery) Pedrada de Nisa is unique in the Alentejo. In Estremoz, its famous Barrística (figurines in clay) is outstanding. Near Elvas and near Evora there are tanneries which maintains traditional methods of production of leather items. Traditional Alentejan blankets and covers are made on looms, using sheep’s wool, white and black.