Alcácer do Sal is a captivating hilltop town in the Alentejo region. Its strategic location has made it an important settlement for thousands of years, leaving a rich tapestry of history from Roman, Moorish, and medieval Portuguese influences.
The town is dominated by the Alcácer do Sal Castle, whose sturdy stone walls and towers offer panoramic views over the surrounding countryside.
Alcácer do Sal is also renowned for a charming and unique feature: storks’ nests scattered across rooftops, towers, and chimneys.
Alter do Chão is a charming Alentejo village known for its deep-rooted equestrian heritage, peaceful landscapes, and historic character. Set amid rolling plains and cork oak fields, it offers a warm, timeless glimpse into rural Portugal.
Arraiolos is a picturesque Alentejo town celebrated for its whitewashed houses, medieval hilltop castle, and centuries-old tradition of exquisite hand-embroidered carpets.
Beja is the historic capital of Portugal’s Baixo Alentejo region. At its center stands the imposing Beja Castle, one of Portugal’s most striking medieval fortresses. Its iconic 40-meter keep tower, built in gleaming white limestone, is the tallest of its kind in the country. Climbing to the top rewards visitors with vast, panoramic views over the surrounding farmland, olive groves, and cork oak forests.
Carvalhal Beach is set along the tranquil Alentejo coast near Grândola, is one of Portugal’s most beautiful and increasingly cherished stretches of shoreline. It lies where golden dunes, pine forests, and the shimmering Atlantic meet, creating a landscape that feels both wild and wonderfully serene.
Castelo de Vide is nestled amid the lush hills of the Serra de São Mamede in northern Alentejo and is one of Portugal’s most enchanting small towns.
The town rises gently toward its crown: the 13th-century castle, whose sturdy walls and rugged keep overlook sweeping views of valleys, forests, and distant mountaintops. Wandering the ramparts, visitors get a vivid sense of frontier history, as this region once stood close to the border defenses between Portugal and Castile.
The Monastery of Flor da Rosa, near Crato in northern Alentejo, is a remarkable monument of medieval Portugal, blending history, architecture, and serenity in one captivating site. Founded in the early 14th century by the Knights Hospitaller, it served as a fortified convent and a center of religious and military influence, reflecting the turbulent and devout spirit of the age.
Estremoz, situated on a hill in the heart of Portugal’s Alentejo region, is a town where history, culture, and craft converge. Famous for its gleaming white marble, ancient fortifications, and vibrant markets, Estremoz exudes a timeless charm that reflects both its medieval roots and its lively local traditions.
The town is dominated by the Estremoz Castle, whose massive walls and medieval tower overlook red-tiled rooftops, cobbled streets, and panoramic views of the surrounding plains. Within the castle and its historic center, visitors encounter elegant churches, quaint squares, and a network of narrow streets that seem frozen in time.
Évora, the heart of Portugal’s Alentejo region, is a city where history, culture, and architectural splendor converge. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Évora is renowned for its remarkably preserved Roman, medieval, and Renaissance landmarks, which together create a living museum of Portuguese history.
The Cathedral of Évora is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Évora, Portugal. It is one of the oldest and most important local monuments, lying on the highest spot of the city. It is part of the historical city centre, and the seat of the Archdiocese of Evora.
The Roman Temple of Évora, often called the Temple of Diana, is one of the most iconic symbols of Évora and a remarkable relic of Portugal’s ancient past. Dating back to the 1st century AD, this well-preserved temple stands proudly in the heart of the historic city, its granite columns and classical proportions offering a striking contrast to the surrounding medieval and Renaissance architecture.
The temple’s robust yet elegant design reflects the Roman reverence for harmony, symmetry, and grandeur. Its 14 Corinthian columns, originally part of a larger structure, rise dramatically from a raised platform, evoking a sense of power and permanence. Though much of the temple’s original roof and interior have not survived, the structure’s enduring presence provides a vivid glimpse into Évora’s role as a Roman settlement known as Liberalitas Julia.
The Évora Aqueduct is a striking monument to ingenuity and endurance, stretching across the historic city of Évora and its surrounding countryside. Built in the 16th century to supply water to the city, this remarkable structure combines practical engineering with elegant design, standing as a testament to Portugal’s architectural and urban achievements.
Walking along or beneath the aqueduct, visitors can appreciate the scale and ambition of this engineering feat, which carried water over several kilometers from distant springs to Évora’s fountains, convents, and public baths. It is both a reminder of the city’s historical reliance on careful planning and a striking symbol of the harmony between human innovation and the Alentejo landscape.
In rural Portugal, especially across the Alentejo, a pile of cork stacked in a field is a common and meaningful sight. It usually represents the harvested bark of cork oak trees a material that has shaped the region’s economy and landscape for centuries.
These piles are formed after the cork is carefully stripped from the trees during the warm summer months, a process done entirely by hand. The bark is cut away in large, curved sheets that hold the shape of the tree. Once removed, the sheets are stacked in open fields or farmyards to dry. This drying stage allows the cork to stabilize and flatten naturally before being transported to processing facilities.
The marble quarries near Estremoz, in Portugal’s Alentejo region, form one of the most striking man-made landscapes in the country. Known collectively as the Estremoz Anticline, these quarries have produced marble for more than two thousand years, yielding stone so pure and luminous that it has been used in palaces, churches, and monuments throughout Europe.
From a distance, the quarries appear as vast open pits carved deep into the earth, their walls shimmering in shades of white, cream, rose, and soft grey. Up close, the scale is breathtaking: sheer cliffs of polished stone descend in geometric terraces.
Sitting dramatically atop a granite crag in the Alentejo, Marvão is one of Portugal’s most breathtaking hilltop villages a place where history, landscape, and stone seem to merge into a single, unforgettable scene.
At Marvão’s crown stands the medieval castle, a remarkably well-preserved stronghold dating back to the 13th century. From its battlements, the panorama is astonishing—a 360-degree sweep over Portugal’s Alentejo and into neighboring Spain.
Mértola, set high above the Guadiana River in Portugal’s lower Alentejo, is a town where layers of history seem to rest gently on one another. Its whitewashed houses spill down a hillside crowned by a sturdy medieval castle, while the river curves below like a natural moat—a reminder of why Mértola was once such a prized stronghold.
Monsaraz, stands high on a hilltop overlooking the wide plains of the Alentejo, is one of Portugal’s most enchanting medieval villages.
Entering through its ancient gates, you find narrow cobbled lanes lined with whitewashed houses, their doors framed by granite lintels and windows trimmed in deep Alentejo blue. The village unfolds slowly, leading you toward sweeping viewpoints where the landscape opens into a vast tapestry of olive groves and vineyards.
Monsaraz Castle rises proudly at the highest point of the hilltop village, a rugged stone sentinel that has watched over the Alentejo plains for centuries. Climbing the ramparts is the highlight. The walkway takes you along sturdy battlements where knights once stood guard, and every step offers a new, sweeping vista. Monsaraz Castle is not grand in size, but it is grand in presence.
Portugal’s plains capture the essence of the Alentejo: spacious, timeless, and deeply connected to the land.
Portalegre is a charming hilltop city in the Alentejo region of Portugal, perched on the northern slopes of the São Mamede mountains. Known for its scenic vistas, historic architecture, and rich cultural heritage, it offers a quieter, more contemplative side of Portuguese life away from the bustling coastal cities.
Portalegre’s historic heart is marked by ancient churches, convents, and the imposing city walls, reflecting centuries of history from medieval times through the Renaissance and beyond.
Portel exudes a calm, slow-paced rhythm. Local cafés spill onto shaded squares, while churches and chapels hint at the town’s rich cultural heritage. The surrounding countryside is equally inviting—ideal for walking, cycling, or simply soaking in the wide-open spaces that define the Alentejo.
At the center stands Portel Castle, a compact medieval fortress that once watched over the surrounding plains. From its walls, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of rolling fields, olive groves, and cork oak forests, a landscape that stretches uninterrupted toward the horizon.
The island is best known for the remains of its 16th-century fort, built as part of a defensive system designed to protect the coast from pirate raids.
Alongside the fortifications lie traces of Roman occupation, including fish-salting tanks carved into the rock—evidence that this island has been part of human activity for nearly two thousand years.
The old fort at Porto Covo, known as the Forte do Pessegueiro, has watched over this coastline since the late 1500s. Built to defend against pirates and protect the nearby Ilha do Pessegueiro, the fort’s thick stone walls and open battlements stand in solemn contrast to the quarry’s natural geometry.
Forte do Pessegueiro. Time has softened the fort’s once-militant presence—parts of the structure have crumbled, and the sea breeze moves freely through empty windows and corridors—but its sense of history is unmistakable.
Together, the rock quarry and old fort create a unique scene—where nature’s raw power meets centuries of maritime history. This coastal stretch embodies the wild spirit of Porto Covo: dramatic, windswept, and deeply rooted in the stories of Portugal’s past.
Pombal Castle rises proudly above the town of Pombal in central Portugal, its stone towers and walls standing as a reminder of the country’s early medieval past. Built in the 12th century by Gualdim Pais, Grand Master of the Knights Templar, the castle was part of a strategic defensive line that protected the newly formed Portuguese kingdom during the Reconquista.
As you approach, the castle’s rugged battlements, narrow slit windows, and strong rectangular keep give a vivid sense of its military origins. Walking through the arched gateway, visitors step into an inner courtyard framed by restored walls and towers, where the blend of original masonry and careful conservation work tells a story of centuries of conflict, abandonment, and revival. Outside, the ramparts invite you to stroll along the heights, imagining the vantage knights once held as they guarded the frontier.
Vila Nova de Milfontes is a charming coastal town in Portugal’s Alentejo region, where the Mira River meets the Atlantic Ocean, creating a picturesque mix of river, beach, and sea. Overlooking the town is the 17th-century fortress, once built to defend against pirates, now offering sweeping views of the river, ocean, and surrounding Alentejo countryside. The town’s narrow streets are lined with cafés, seafood restaurants, and small artisan shops, where visitors can enjoy local specialties like grilled fish, clams, and Alentejo cheeses.
The coastline here is a natural highlight: golden sandy beaches stretch along the Atlantic, while the calm waters of the Mira River offer a peaceful contrast. Praia do Malhão and Praia das Furnas are ideal for swimming, sunbathing, or simply strolling along the shore, while the nearby cliffs and dunes create dramatic scenery for photography and exploration.
Along the rugged coast near Vila Nova de Milfontes, the meeting of the Mira River and the Atlantic Ocean creates not only stunning scenery but also a dramatic history of maritime life. Here, scattered along remote beaches and hidden coves, lie abandoned ships and shipwrecks, silent witnesses to centuries of ocean currents, storms, and human endeavor.
Zambujeira do Mar is a picturesque fishing village perched on dramatic cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean along Portugal’s Alentejo coast.
The village is renowned for its breathtaking beaches, including Praia da Zambujeira and Praia dos Alteirinhos, where fine sand meets powerful waves, making it a favorite spot for surfers, sunbathers, and nature lovers. Hidden coves, rocky promontories, and sea caves give the coastline a wild, untamed beauty that invites exploration and photography.