Destination Alentejo, Portugal

Imagine a stunning landscape of never-ending golden and green plains carpeted with vines, cork-oak trees and olive groves. Pepper with pretty whitewashed houses and medieval towns. Add unspoilt sandy beaches coupled with large dollops of sunshine and sprinkle with irresistible culinary aromas and flavours. Blend all together and you have Alentejo.

Pronounced alan’terzu, Portugal’s agricultural heartland, covers almost a third of the country. It stretches from the River Tagus in the north to the hills of the Algarve in the south.

Its name is derived from além do Tejo which translates as beyond the Tagus. This region is a treasure trove full of sparkling gems. In this bucolic habitat stress oozes from your very being as you get caught up in the pace of life which beats to a rhythm of a long-gone world. 

Alentejo

At the Arte e Sal restaurant in St Torpes overlooking an inviting blue sea lapping away at golden sands, I had my first taste of bacalhau, a traditional Portuguese dish. Salted and dried cod did not sound exactly appetising. However, it is soaked in one or two changes of water to remove the saltiness, and was so succulent it almost melted in my mouth.

There were so many small appetisers - “petiscos” - including cold meats, cheeses, olives, octopus salad and sardines, that you were spoilt for choice. The main course was grilled fish. I had a melange of sea bream and sea bass. Every mouthful was a sensory experience. What makes the Alentejo cuisine so special is that it only uses simple and home-grown products. A must to try while on the coast is a caldeirada, a fish stew.

Another revelation was the superb wines from Alentejo which we had to accompany the meal. I am not normally a fan of sparkling wine, except for champagne, but since tasting a couple of numbers produced in this region, I am hooked. 

If this was a sample of the region’s gastronomy, I would understand if TAP Portugal were to charge me excess baggage on my return journey. Alentejo is my food heaven.

The fishermen out on their boats

A long, leisurely lunch was the perfect way to relax after a hectic morning. We had got up early to see the fishermen out on their boats and visit a local fish market before exploring the centre of Sines. Its most famous son is the navigator Vasco da Gama, the first person to sail from Europe to India. 

History shrouds Sines like a mist. From prehistoric times to present day, the municipality and its people have been shaped by the sea. The star attraction is the 15^th century castle where Da Gama is said to have been born and spent his childhood.

After doing the educational bit, we refuelled at a café. Another treat for the taste buds is the rather scrumptious pastel de nata. This custard tart is one of the country’s most renowned specialities. 

The place to stay in the Alentejo is the Convento do Espinheiro near the city of Évora. This 15^th century monastery, where the royal family and nobility often used to stay overnight, has been transformed into a magnificent hotel that definitely gives you a sense of occasion. 

Following its chequered past, it has now been painstakingly restored and is a compelling combination of old and new. If your idea of a break is lazing by the pool, chilling out at the spa and being surrounded by beautiful gardens while savouring exquisite food and wines spiced up with a dash of culture, you will adore this place.

Templo de_Diana
©rui cunha_08
Courtesy of

Turismo Alentejo

Steal yourself away from the hotel to visit Évora, known as the Museum-City. It is a cultural hotbed dating back thousands of years. Everybody seems to have been here except, thank goodness, busloads of tourists. From pre-historic times, to being fortified by the Romans to being a Christian city in the Visigothic period, being conquered by the Moors and to its Golden Age in the 15^th century when it was the residence of Portuguese kings, Évora resonates with influences from Romans, Arabs, Christians and Jews. 

Saunter along the quaint cobbled streets, past pretty houses many decorated with ceramic tiles - “azulejos” - and through the enchanting squares and you will hit upon plenty of fascinating places to visit. Stars of the show are the Roman Temple (Templo de Diana), one of the best preserved in the Iberian Peninsula, and the cathedral. If you fancy reflecting about the meaning of life, head to the renowned 16^th century Chapel of Bones which lives up to its name. The walls and pillars are plastered in bones from the city’s cemeteries.

After a tour of the Cartuxa winery savouring wines and olive oils and, of course, discovering more amazing restaurants and eating plenty more sensational meals, heart-wrenching  though it was, it was almost time to leave for our two-hour or so journey back to Lisbon Airport.

However we could not leave the Alentejo without squeezing in a visit to the ancient town of Arraiolos, world-renowned for its beautiful embroidered carpets, a centuries old tradition.

For getting to India, Vasco da Gama claimed Sines as his reward. Feeling like an explorer who had just discovered a whole new world, I would like mine to be a return trip to Alentejo.  

By Daralyn Danns 

     

Getting there

TAP Portugal (0845 601 0932, www.flytap.com) flies from Manchester, London Heathrow and Gatwick to Lisbon up to 9 times a day. Return fares start at £116 including all taxes and surcharges

Hotels

Hotel Vila Park, Av. de Sines, Apartado 146
7501-909 Vila Nova de St. André
Tel:+351 269 750 100
Double rooms including breakfast from €68 to €110
For more info visit www.vilapark.com

Hotel Convento do Espinheiro, Bairro dos Canaviais,7002-502 Évora.Tel:+351 266 788 200, Fax:+351 266 788 229,
Double rooms including breakfast from €250
For more info visit www.conventodoespinheiro.com/en

Herdade da Amendoeira, Santana do Campo Arraiolos, 7040-130 Arraiolos.Tel:+351 266 847 498
Double rooms including breakfast from €65
For more info visit www.herdadeamendoeira.com

Pousada Arraiolos, 7044-909 Arraiolos,Tel:+351 266 419 340
Double rooms including breakfast from €120
For more info visit www.pousadas.pt

Restaurants 

Restaurante Arte e Sal
Praia de Morgavel
São Torpes
7520-089 Sines
Tel:+351 269 869 125
Average price without drinks, €16 to €24 per person 

Adega da Cartuxa
Quinta de Valbom
Estrada da Soeira
7000-769 Évora
Tel:+351 266 748 380
Dir.comercial@fea.pt
For more info visit www.cartuxa.pt

Restaurante Dom Joaquim
Rua dos Penedos 6
7000-537 Évora – Portugal
Tel:+351 266 73 11 05
Average price without drinks, €20 per person
For more info visit http://restaurantedomjoaquim.pai.pt

For more info on Alentejo visit visitportugal.com/en