Welcome to Alentejo, the biggest region of Portugal (representing ⅓ of the country), the most diverse one, but also one of the most unified.
Alentejo name origins from “Além Tejo” which stands for Beyond Tagus, the biggest and most important river in Portugal and which divides the country in two. The simplicity of the name reveals also the character of the people here, simple and practical.
Did you know that Portugal is the biggest producer of cork in the world and that Alentejo is considerably responsible for that? Part of Portugal’s economy is also the wine and olive production.
In Alentejo you can easily feel absorbed by the natural landscapes of rare splendour. In the West, you have the largest coastline area with sand beaches… Dolce far niente never seemed sweeter!
Now is the perfect time for you to try one of the regions’ white wines. Light! Subtle! Fresh! Summer and Alentejo wine make a lovely couple! Oh, we were about to forget the amazing traditional food that you cannot refuse or pass. Make sure to choose the typical restaurants where the prices are also reasonable.
Throughout the interior until the East side, the outspread fields cherish the cork tree and the Montado = cork forest. Montado is a unique ecosystem made by man, but where the nature takes its course transforming the landscape every season. The cork trees are only harvested every 9 years, and meanwhile the fields are utilized for different usage, like cattle, shepherds and even wild life such as dears, foxes, several migrant birds and the extinct Iberian Lynx.
However, in this wonderful piece of land there is not only the natural part to be praised. There is also history, and actually loads of it, from the Phoenicians to the Christianity, passing through the Romans and the Moors. Its capital is Évora, showcasing a small portion of the region’s history.
Something to note down next time you are in Portugal: driving with no destination in Alentejo through the mighty plains can be a sport in itself, knowing that wherever you end up, will be wonderful for sure.
What about your “dolce far niente” spot? We bet you have one as well!
