This trip can start any day of the week except Monday/Saturday, from March through June and September through early November, though availability tends to be easiest starting on a weekday.

The weather is generally warm and sunny.

In the Marvão area, temperatures soar in the summer, well into the 30ºs and even 40ºC. On the coast things aren't quite so fierce, though only a little respite is offered by the sea.

For this reason, we advise against doing this trip in July/August, and it's probably worth tending away from late June and early September if you find it uncomfortable to walk in the heat.

Peak season is July and August but we do not generally offer this trip during that period as it is too hot to comfortably walk.

There are no hard and fast rules on this, as mentioned, we limit supply of this trip to one every other day during the five month season. Therefore, if you are flexible with your dates, a month or two is plenty for us to work with, if you have a narrow window available then six months or more would be reasonable.

In common with all of our Inn to Inn walking holidays, most of the costs of the tour are fixed so going solo will imply your paying nearly the same for one person as you would for two.

If you enjoy walking alone and time to yourself then the experience itself will be absolutely lovely, and safe.

We provide simple written instructions for you to follow, plus GPS tracks which you use on your smartphone. These will let you know when you need to take an upcoming action, or if you have strayed off the path. It's therefore all very easy, allowing you to relax into the walk and enjoy the views.

You leave your bags packed in your accommodation and we come to pick it up and deliver it to your next hotel while you walk.

Yes, it is usually possible to simply hop in with your bags to be driven to your next hotel. You would need to arrange this with us by the night before at the latest.

This is a walking holiday, so in that sense active, though it should not be terribly challenging for anyone used to hill walking in the UK or elsewhere in Europe. Although the itinerary has you walking every day, you should also have plenty of time to relax into the slower pace of life in Alentejo.

Distances on your walking days average around the 15km mark, with one shorter day of just 7km. Elevation gains/losses are not dramatic. In some cases, particularly at the coast, your walks can be lengthened or shortened according to how much you want to walk.

The hotels you will stay at on this trip tend slightly towards the premium end of the scale. That's not to say they're fancy for the sake of being fancy, but rather we know you'll have a warm welcome, a big comfy bed, a great location and a bit of peace and quiet too.

Please get in touch for full details.

One advantage of the slow pace of this walk is that it allows you to enjoy not only the nature around you, but also gain a deeper insight into the local life of the area.

This holiday takes you into contrasting areas of Alentejo; from the rural heartland of the world's largest cork-producing area, to the rugged Atlantic coastline. Life in these regions is very different in many ways, though in both cases has changed little over the years.

Your pause from walking, between inland Alentejo and the coast, takes in Évora - the capital of Alentejo. The layers of history here are self evident, from the Roman temple to the imposing cathedral, and the eerie Chapel of Bones to name a few key points.

This exclusive itinerary has been designed so that you have guided transfers between the coast and inland, so have that resource to widen your understanding of local life and history. All this ensures that you have a rich cultural experience at each stage of your journey.

Food and wine will be a big part of your cultural experience in Southern Portugal - from the fantastic wines near Evora to the absolutely stunning sea food of the Atlantic coast.

This holiday can be tailored to suit you in certain ways though as a walking trip, we can't easily deviate from the route without spoiling the trip.

Extending the trip, either into Andalucia or joining with another walk in northern Portugal is perfectly possible.

We take a 20% deposit to secure your holiday, with the remainder due ten weeks before your departure.

Your money is 100% protected through our ATOL licence if your trip includes a flight booked through us, or through our ABTOT bond if it does not. Either way, this protection provides a cast iron financial guarantee and helps you book with complete peace of mind. Because the contract between us exists here in the UK, you get this protection regardless of where you live