Travel to Portugal

Estremoz

Besides the large cities, very few Portuguese towns have been the setting for as many dramatic moments of their national history as Estremoz.The town is crowned by a 13th century castle, with a citadel  and St.lsabel Chapel. Special reference to the Gothic Dom Dinis Palace, S.Francisco Church and Convent, Pacos do Concelho , Maltesas Convent , and the Municipal Museum. The church of the Misericórdia located on Estremoz's large market square was once a convent of the Knights of Malta.

Sousel

It is a quiet town with several interesting churches, such as the Mother Church (16th century and including emblazoned grave-stones of artistic and historical value), the Miserichord Church (18th century, with a gilded altarpiece) or the Church of Our Lady of Oratory (dating from the 15th century but later altered and enlarged, with blue and white painted tiles from the 18th century), among others.

Elvas

Famous for its sugar plums, Elvas is also a citadel, whose Spain-facing fortifications match those of Badajoz across the border. Three imposing gates lead into the city which, during its long and chequered history, has been besieged by Moors, Spaniards, Frenchmen and Englishmen. There you can find the Romano-Moorish in origin, Elvas Castle was rebuilt for King Sanco III in 1226. The 16th-century octagonal church of Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos is one of the prettiest sights in Portugal. Its main appeal lies in the fine marble columns and spectacular yellow and blue azulejo glazed tiles added in the 17th century.

Castelo de Vide

Placed among olive groves and chestnut trees in the cool mountain region of São Mamede, Castelo de Vide is often referred to as the Sintra of the Alentejo. Scattered with monuments, this pretty spa town is a place of roses, fountains, orchards and old houses. Steep alleyways lead up to the castle through a 16th-century village, which is enriched with some of the most impressive Gothic entrances in Portugal.

Borba

Borba is the center of an administrative area which is small but fiercely proud of its identity. This identity dates back to the very foundation of Portugal as a nation-state, as proved by the castle and city walls ordered built by King Afonso II. The whole place was built with local marble, including the paving stones in the streets. You can enjoy the late 16th-century Church of São Bartolomeu is full of marble treasures, including the altars, tables, porticos, fonts, balustrades, basins and stairs. Rising above is a splendid vaulted Renaissance-style ceiling with medallions and religious paintings. In the centre of the town is a huge white marble tank and fountain built by Queen Maria I in 1781.

Alcacer do Sal

The Moorish castle of Alcácer do Sal follows the lines of buildings from the Iron Age and the Roman times. In the year 966, so the chronicles say, a Viking army attacked Alcácer do Sal unsuccessfully, the reason being the very strong defence provided by the castle. The castle towers over a former Roman and Moslem town

Monsaraz

Monsaraz, a small fortified medieval village standing on a hill, in Alentejo. One of the oldest Portuguese towns, its been occupied since pre historic times, and we can find nearly 500 megalithic
monuments around it. among its Neolithic remains, we find the Anta do Olival da Pega, the Bulhôa Menhir, Rocha dos Namorados Menhir and the Outeiro Menhir. It is a town full of history, very worthy to pay a visit and enjoy its medieval and pre historic heritage.

Alqueva

Alqueva is a village in the Alentejo region, that gives the name to a huge project in the Guadiana river that intends to create a complex infrastructure which includes a dam, hydroelectric power production, and irrigation systems. The complex of the Alqueva Dam was projected to bring a solution to the problem of this area, since it is the driest and hottest region in Portugal, and was supposed to create the biggest artificial lake in Europe. The reservoir of this dam started to fill in February, 2002.

Alentejo

Alentejo is a region located on south-central Portugal and is separated from the rest of Portugal by the Tagus river, extending itself to the south. We have four sub-regions in Alentejo, the Alto (High) Alentejo, the Baixo (Lower) Alentejo, the Alentejo Central, and the Alentejo Litoral. The main cities are Évora (capital of the region), Santarém, Portalegre, Beja, and Sines. On its countryside we find from open rolling plains of the south of the Alentejo to granite hills bordering Spain in the north-east, and several public dams constructed to feed the water needs of the region, being the most important the Alqueva Dam.