The Alentejo region is often known as the "Tuscany of Portugal". The vast landscape expands from the Spanish border all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. With its gentle rolling hills, crossed by numerous rivers, it is also the cork-oak region, the national tree of Portugal which, along with extensive breeding of black pigs, sheep and cattle, plays an important economic role in the region.
You begin your trip in Evora, a whitewhashed city perched on a hill, protected by its exterior walls. Evora is one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal and was the destination of choice for Portuguese royalty. Along with an impresive number of churches and monuments, the capital city of Alentejo boasts a gentle way of life with plenty of small shady squares, ideal for sitting and people watching!
This itinerary allows you to hike in the middle of an unchanging and timeless landscape, and to explore the rich history of Portugal: the megaliths of Almendres and Monsaraz, the Roman temple of Evora, the Ossa Convent dating back to the 18th century. Throughout your hike, you will discover the Moorish architectural heritage, medieval castles and fortresses. The Terena lake and the immense Lake Alqueva are fantastic spots for a swim!
Arrival at Lisbon airport. Transfer on your own to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you can stroll through the black and white mosaic streets of the city, take a tram or walk up to the belvedere offering a panoramic view of the capital and the Tagus estuary where you can just picture the scene from years ago with the galleons returning from Brazil, Mozambique, China.
Night: Lisbon
Meals included: none
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Short taxi transfer to the small village of Valverde with its traditional colourful houses. The walking path is lined with vineyards and centuries old cork-oak trees and leads you to Zambujeiro, the largest dolmen site in the Iberian Peninsula: the largest slab measures almost 8 metres! The country lanes lead to the village of Guadalupe, then a trail climbs towards the Almendres menhir and the cromlech, on a spectacular panoramic site. It is one of the most beautiful megalithic sites in all of Portugal. Return taxi transfer to Evora.
Transfer to the fortified village of Terena. The castle takes us back to the time of the fights for independence against neighbouring Spain. It is a well-preserved building offering a panoramic view of the undulating plain. The flowered streets and alleys of the village lead to the medieval chapel of Senhora da Boa Nova and then the path crosses the beautiful Alentejana countryside, full of flowers and trees, to the small Terena lake. A 20 minute taxi transfer takes you to your accommodation in Monsaraz, one of the most spectacular perched and fortified villages in the country that overlooks the immense Lake Alqueva.
The village of Monsaraz is a real gem, with its medieval alleyways, fort and panoramic lookout points over the great Lake Alqueva, the largest artificial lake in Europe. The dam was created for irrigation and hydroelectric production on the Guadiana River, a natural border with Spain. The ancestral paths lined with cistus, rosemary and lavender lead to Lake Alqueva through a panoramic watchtower. Possibility to take a break at a sandy beach on the shores of the lake before taking the road to the Orada convent and a superb Iron Age cromlech. The ascent to Monsaraz is via a medieval paved road.
Enjoy Monsaraz before a taxi transfer to Evora (40 min), then catch a train or bus back to Lisbon (1h30). Meet and greet and the station with your taxi driver who will transfer you to your hotel in the centre of Lisbon. Free afternoon in Lisbon.
End of your trip in Lisbon.
