Boutique & Romantic Hotels in Alentejo, Portugal

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Alentejo

The Alentejo Stretches across two thirds of central and southern Portugal and takes in undulating prairies, endless olive trees, cork trees, wheat fields, white-washed houses, Roman ruins, charming towns and an all embracing tranquillity. Our romantic hotels in the Alentejo tend to follow the same pattern of peaceful simplicity. The Portuguese endearingly poke fun at the Alentejo for its slow way of life, but it is also admired for its cuisine, songs and handicrafts as well as a philosophy of life that takes each day as it comes.

Gastronomy The cuisine from the Alentejo is greatly appreciated in Portugal. One of the best known local dishes is the succulent carne de Porco à Alentejana: cubes of fried and boiled marinated pork, mixed with clams, and coated with tomato sauce, oil, onions and parsley. Try the Açorda à Alentejana - eggs poached in watery bread with coriander and garlic. The 'ensopado de borrego´is a very typical dish, preferred by locals . Other specialties include rabbit and hare as well as kid and lamb stews. The cheeses from Nisa, Serpa and Évora are great for an evening snack. Egg based sweets are the best option for dessert.

The Alentejo also produces some of the best wines in Portugal. It is worth trying the wines of Borba, Redondo, Moura, and Reguengos. Both whites and reds carry a high content of alcohol, and the fruity type.

History The Alentejo has been fashioned by large land holdings and a lack of irrigation. Its remoteness, dry soil, few mountains and rivers led the Romans to introduce the latifundios (large farms) around 200 BC. The Moorish influence is evident in the white houses of southern Alentejo whereas to the north and east the planes give way to rocky, fortified towns where sheep graze in the fields. The production of wine still takes place along the river valleys. Although Portugal’s entry into the EU has helped boost the Alentejo, this sparsely populated region only produces 12 percent of the countries wealth.

Festivals Most festivals are deeply rooted and traditional. Evora’s big annual event is the St John’s Fair, a folklore, handicraft, gastronomic and music festival during the last ten days of June and the Classical music festival in July. September in Elvas includes the six day Festival of São Mateus - a program of agriculture, cultural and religious events. Borba hosts the Wine Festival in November, and Beja hosts an agricultural fair in March.

Handicrafts Almost every village in the Alentejo produces a unique piece of handicraft. Just 20 km north of Évora is the village of Arraiolos, where Arraiolos carpets, made from a simple woollen cross-stitch in beautiful patterns, are made. In Portalegre look out for the famous Portalegre tapestries, it is cheaper to buy them there. All around you will come upon wrought iron works, hand painted furniture, leather goods, painted pottery and earthenware.

Monuments The old city of Évora has a lovely historic centre with a number of wonderful monuments such as the Temple of Diana, dating back to the 2nd century, the Loios Convent (15th century) and the cathedral (13th century). To the north, good-looking houses surround Castelo de Vide and Marvão. To the northeast are the beautiful white towns of Estremoz and Vila Viçosa, with their extraordinary marble facades.

Activities The Alentejo is great for the traveller to rent a car, hit the road and travel from one intriguing village and town to the next.

The traveller will certainly notice how sparsely populated the region is. It is worth remembering, however, that it can get very warm in the summer, particularly in the interior.