In the first post about Alentejo I provided you with an overal view of the region. In this post I will give you an impression of the possibilities of this area, by showing an overview of the places I’ve visited.
Towns and cities:
Flor da Rosa
The location of our first hotel, Pousada do Crato. A charming little village where I took a lot of pictures during sunrise!
Marvão
The highlight of my visit! A beautiful little medieval village situated on the top of a mountain (843 meters). The view is amazing and you can can stroll through the narrow streets with white houses until you reach the castle.
Estremoz
A town known for its marble and the 13th-century hilltop castle (check out the view from the tower!). For a modern style lunch you can visit Mercearia do Gadanha.
Evora
A beautiful city, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site. There are a lot of historic sites you can visit; like the Roman Temple, the Igreja de São Francisco and the Cathedral of Santa Maria. It’s also great to just walk around in the old streets of the city center.
Nature / active:
Serra de São Mamede National Park
This mountain range in Portalegre district is great for walking or horse riding. We went on a horse riding and carriage trip with an amazing team who are part of Vetal, based in a brand new building including stables in Portalegre. If you are interested in walking tours I would recommend Vagar Walkingtours and Landescape walks to show you around!
Azenhas da Seda
A beautiful, green oasis situated near a little river. Azenhas da Seda offers a differend kind of water activities like canoeing, hydrospeed and hike and swim. This location also hosts a glamping and it's a perfect location for hiking tours. I really loved this hidden treasure!
Culture:
Museum Atoleiros 1384
The interpretation centre dedicated to the Battle of Atoleiros, which was fought on 6 April 1384, a short distance from the town of Fronteira. It’s a very interesting place to vist and a must see for people who are into architecture. The architect of the building is Gonçalo Byrne.
Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa
A palace with a stunning facade, almost completely made out of marble! Don’t forget to check out the neighbouring historic Pousada including their gardens.
Hotels:
There are a lot of different options to stay in the area like the luxurious Pousadas (traditional or historic hotels), situated at amazing locations and the smaller, more intimate hotels, often run by a family.
Pousada Convento Arraiolos
A very luxurious historic Pousada near the village of Arraiolos.
Pousada Mosteiro do Crato
A beautiful, luxurious Pousada located at a castellated monastery in the village of Flor da Rosa. The rooms overlook the endless fields of rural Alentejo and you can see the mountains in the distance.
Hotel Santo Antonio
A centrally located hotel and a must visit for the amazing view of the sunrise from the breakfast room! And don’t forget to watch the sunset over the village from the hilltop next to the hotel.
Cabeças do Borrego
I would love to come back to this small, intimate hotel, owned by the family Afonso. The estate has all organic vineyards, olive groves, vegetable gardens, all kinds of native fruit trees and a chicken coop. For breakfast and dinner they serve home made organic food and wines, all from their own garden!
Ecorkhotel
We enjoyed a great dinner in this eco friendly design hotel. It’s the first cork hotel in the world (they used cork for the exterior of the building as acoustic and thermic isolation). I was really impressed by the concept and architecture of this hotel. Next time I will definitely book a room!
Hotel Vip Villa Rica
We stayed here for the last night of the tour. It's the perfect (business) hotel when you have to catch an early flight. Lisbon airport is only ten minutes away.
On our Instagram @onahazymorning you can check #alentejoXonahazymorning for more images!
Many thanks to Visit Portugal, Visit Alentejo and TAP Portugal for inviting me on this beautiful and interesting trip!
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