Alentejo
Exceptional holidays, beautifully local & certifiably responsible
Cork harvest Prophet of the Montado Stoic storks Turbot on my mind Out-of-season sardines Sunset swim Rio meets San Fran Gratitude in marble Laid bare
From Marvão, Alentejo
It felt like an ancient ceremony of the Mediterranean forest. As the morning mist was clearing, I could feel, rather than hear, the cork being torn from the venerable trees by the expert hands of silent men, as if they were collecting a ritual offering.
The bright ochre of their naked trunks completed a theatrical scene that makes the connection between forest, people and raw material so intrinsic to the culture here.
From Évora, Alentejo
The Carnation Revolution of 1974 sent Alfredo´s family to exile in Spain and the land was handed to a local co-operative. Alfredo studied Agricultural Science in Spain and Greece, then returned to Portugal when the properties were given back to the pre-revolutionary owners.
This was the moment he found his mission in life and focused his energy in recovering the ancient montado forest, producing high quality food and generating work for locals.
From Costa Vicentina, Alentejo
The storks of the Costa Vicentina are, I'm told, the only storks to nest by the sea. And when I say by the sea, I don't mean they can see it if they twist their necks just so on a clear day. The waves are metres away. On windy days, they get wet.
Us walkers are metres away too, but those chicks look so safe perched on the vertical rocks. Between our excited voices and the crashing waves, I doubt they'll ever be spooked by any noise in their lives.
From Costa Vicentina, Alentejo
It's not that I recognize one turbot from another, but when I see this picture of a grilled turbot my mind wanders off to a lunch with friends in Zambujeira do Mar.
From a walk along the beautiful cliffs of the Costa Vicentina, to a spread of fresh fish and Alentejan white wine within earshot of the waves, it is my image of a perfect day. Or at least the kind of day when you say to yourself, "this is the life... Make sure you live it."
From Costa Vicentina, Alentejo
I usually adhere to the, 'When In Rome' mantra, but obstinately ignored my guide this time. It might not have been the optimum time of year, but I had my heart set on sardines for my last lunch in Portugal.
They duly arrived, immaculately chargrilled, and after the painstaking removal of bones, I popped the first forkful into my mouth, where the delicate flesh melted on my tongue. 'Wow,' I thought. If this is when they're not at their best...!
From Costa Vicentina, Aletenjo
I’ve seen many great sunsets in my life, but finishing a good day’s walk by jumping into the waves tinted by a giant red sun as it sank into the Atlantic must be one of the top ones.
Easy to understand why someone with a taste for beauty like the famous Fado singer Amalia Rodrigues chose this place to build her retreat house on top of the cliff... thus lending her pretty name to the beach which gave me the most beautiful sunset.
From Lisbon
“I love this view because from up here you can see to San Francisco and Rio de Janeiro.” So said Sergio at the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte on our tour of Lisbon.
I see what he means. From the banks of the River Tagus you feel like you’re in a parallel universe where the world got all shook up and scattered about, with the Golden Gate Bridge and Christ the Redeemer landing side-by-side in the Portuguese capital.
From Lisbon
José Sousa Martins dedicated his life to caring for the poor, earning a reputation as a bit of a miracle worker. Erected by popular demand, his statues give locals (and chickens it seems) a place to come and pray for the speedy recovery of loved ones and to lay their marble plaques at his feet.
They're not to honour those that have passed as you might expect, but to thank the Doctor for saving their lives, a century on from his own death. It is at once both deeply moving and incredibly uplifting. And wholly unexpected, might I add.
From Lisbon
The Igreja De São Domingos is somewhat unassuming from the outside. On the inside though the church is a living testament to endurance: it survived an 16th century earthquake, was rebuilt after a second in 1755 and was then ravaged by fire in the 1950s.
Rather than restore the church to its original condition, the damage was left exposed upon reopening in 1994 as a beautiful monument to its past and the two lives of the firefighters lost.
From the Spanish border to the clear blue ocean, Alentejo is a place of Mediterranean forest, olive groves and hilltop villages in which traditional lifestyles survive, far from the tourist trail.
Magic of the Montado
Inland Alentejo is a delightful place of expansive plains, sudden mountains, and the largest cork forests in the world. Of all the landscapes you’ll walk through here, perhaps the most special is the Montado.
This beautiful agricultural landscape of open forest spreads its way across the south-west of the Iberian Peninsula, crossing over the border into Spain where the locals refer to it as Dehesa.
It’s a wonderful example of a managed ecosystem, a productive farming system which allows humans to cultivate crops, raise cattle and harvest the cork, but still providing a space for nature to flourish, where birds sing their songs, endangered Iberian lynx roam stealthily and insect-rich wildflower meadows explode into a symphony of colours each spring.
The green stands of cork and Mediterranean holm oaks turn the flowing plains of the Alentejo into a romantic and enchanting place of sun and shadows. The trees are scattered at spaced intervals, providing shade and food for the prized black pigs of the area, who hungrily snaffle up the acorns.
For the walker, moving slowly through the landscape, it can sometimes feel like you are walking through a museum of sculptures, since every oak tree is separated from the others it allows us to admire its sculptural beauty, the shapes and knots of its branches, its silhouette against the sky.
These ancient forests, which have produced cork for millennia and account for half of the world’s total cork supply, are occasionally interrupted by wine estates, olive groves, or a simple white and blue house on a hill.
That's the magic of the Montado.
Alentejo & Costa Vicentina Inn to Inn Walking Holiday
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£1,550 ppn/a
- 8 days
Alentejo & Costa Vicentina Inn to Inn Walking Holiday
When: Mar-Jun; Sep-Nov
Price: £1,550 per person
Duration: 8 days
From ancient castles and cork oak forests, to empty beaches and clifftop trails, this relaxing route plots a peaceful path clear across southern Portugal.
Great Road Trips: Portugal from Porto to Lisbon
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£3,750 ppn/a
- 23 days
Great Road Trips: Portugal from Porto to Lisbon
When: Apr-Jun; Sep-Nov
Price: £3,750 per person
Duration: 23 days
World class wine and delicious seafood; hilltop villages and clifftop trails. Enjoy this and more on our relaxed journey between Portugal's greatest cities.
Great Road Trips: Southern Spain & Portugal
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£3,990 ppn/a
- 22 days
Great Road Trips: Southern Spain & Portugal
When: Apr-Jun; Sep-Dec
Price: £3,990 per person
Duration: 22 days
Cities of flamenco, fado and Moorish monuments combine with landscapes of bays, forests and olive groves on this scenic journey across Iberia's sunny south.
Travel Positive with Pura Aventura
Exceptional holidays in exceptional places.
Exceptional Holidays
From the moment you start planning to the lifelong memories you bring back, your holiday will be truly exceptional and tailored to a degree that is difficult for others to achieve.
Beautifully Local
Your holiday will be deeply rooted into its local surroundings, from the people you meet and the places you stay, to the food on your plate and the wine in your glass.
Certifiably Responsible
As one of the first travel companies in the UK to certify as a B Corp, we ensure your holiday will have a positive impact for the planet, our partners and the places you visit.
