Alentejo

From the wild beaches of the Atlantic coastline stretching inland to the Spanish border, Portugal’s Alentejo region is characterised by an addictive peacefulness and slow lane pace, where ancient cork forests meet megalithic rocks, pine scents the air and pockets of wholesome cuisine and under-the-radar vineyards mean the good life is never far away, minus the crowds. 

Making up most of southern Portugal until you reach the Algarve, the Alentejo is a large yet sparsely populated region, a hidden off-radar gem for those seeking authentic Portuguese way of life, done slowly and the same way for centuries. Towns and villages follow a simple architectural remit of cobbled streets, low-rise, chunky whitewashed builds, topped with terracotta tiles; coastal port towns like Alcácer do Sol are influenced by maritime history andthe medieval trade of salt. The Alentejo’s capital Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has a captivating melange of history that spans back to the 2nd century when the Romans built the Temple of Diana that still stands today, sitting alongside the 12th-century Gothic Cathedral of Évora and well-preserved 16th-century patrician mansions.

A handful of Alentejo hotspots perfectly align with the modern nomadic traveller on the lookout for authentic downtime. Comporta is one such place, cradled by rangy dunes and soaring pines that tumble down onto the wide open beaches of the Atlantic coastline, and not far from the dazzling white sand of the Tróia Peninsula, just 45-minutes from Lisbon. With low-rise development a key feature, Comporta has become a hotbed of innovation with eye-catching villas that fuse traditional Portuguese architecture with modern design. 

The rural northeast of Alentejo is the place to look up and be dazzled within the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve which is also the world’s first designated Starlight Tourism Destination. Shouldering the border with Spain sits Monsaraz, a hilltop village with over 20 artisan pottery workshops, perfect for ceramic-lovers and shoppers of style. The village is presided over by the imposing Monsaraz Castle, built in the 14th century and classified as a National Monument of Portugal.

Wherever you go in the Alentejo you’ll encounter an unassuming food culture that is big on taste, paired with bold, big-flavour red wines that should be better known than they are. Following the parameters of local and seasonal, the Alentejo’s culinary focus is determined by its location – clifftop restaurants are where you can feast on clams, barnacles and the smoky cataplana stew filled with seafood and sausage. Inland, it’s all about farm-to-fork, a new term for a foodie culture that’s deeply embedded in rural life. Whichever way the compass spins in Alentejo, find one of Europe’s last remaining bastion of good food, wine and unspoiled nature.