We travel to the walled city of Évora, at the heart of the Alentejo region, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO.

One of Portugal’s most beautifully preserved medieval towns; Évora is a city with a glorious past and a young and vibrant present helped by a large student population who attend one of the world’s oldest universities. We also explore the lovely surrounding countryside, local villages and ancient monuments set in beautiful landscapes.

Visiting Portalegre is not so much about visiting one interesting town, but about visiting a whole cluster of northern Alentejan towns, each with their own tale to tell, and with Portalegre at their centre. The region contains a wealth of historical monuments and anecdotes, awe-inspiring views from the fortified hilltop towns and a good smattering of pre-historic treasures to boot.

While in Portalegre we will have the opportunity to visit the Serra de s Mamede mountain range and natural park.

The open, ample landscape is peppered with cork-oaks or olive trees that have withstood the ravages of time. Occasionally sturdy fortress walls rise up from hills, as at Marvão or Estremoz, or you’ll see just a simple dolmen reminding you of the magic of the place.

Atop small hills stand white one-story farmsteads, while the castles are reminders of the battles and conquests that once took place here. The patios and gardens bear witness to the influence of the Arabs, who helped to shape the people and the nature.The people here are very proud of their heritage and they preserve the ancient buildings and also the ancient practices. This is a region that has a very rich handicraft tradition – pottery, embroideries, hand-painted furniture, wrought-iron works, etc. The local gastronomy is varied and quite tasty and perfectly matches the famous local wines.