Portugal may be relatively small when compared to other countries in Western Europe. However, this is a country that has seen tourist numbers grow year on year. These many people who come to visit Portugal do so for many reasons: the country has a beautiful coastline, excellent cuisine, it offers good value for your money and its people are among the friendliest in Europe.
As with other countries that are on the tourist's radar, the so-called tourist hotspots are also a reality here and obviously, things will perhaps be slightly pricier and occasionally over-commercialised (although Portugal has done a great job to ensure this is not the norm). But what if I told you there's plenty more to be experienced beyond Lisbon, Porto or even the Algarve?
Bear in mind that you can mix and match and perhaps visit some more talked about destinations and still go off the beaten path if you have got a week or two in Portugal. The country's roads are safe and will take you to the remotest of locations. I should mention that you can obviously walk, cycle or if that's your thing, horseback ride but ideally, you'll want to hire a car as the public transport options in Portugal do exist but do not abound.
With this in mind, below I will suggest a list of places you shouldn't miss if you decide to go off the beaten path when visiting this incredible country.
Part 1 - The Alentejo Region
If you like walled towns, castles and a medieval vibe then go no further, the Alentejo region has it all. The landscape in this part of the country is very unique, here you'll encounter plains that extend as far as the eye can see to the south and further north rolling hills. Oh, and did I mention there are kilometres of pristine unspoilt beaches too on Alentejo's coast?
Some visitors to the region will surely include Évora in their itinerary. Indeed, Évora is one of the prettiest cities in the region with its cobbled streets, beautiful cathedrals, great restaurants and laid back vibe, but it's also one of the most visited. The Alentejo is vast when compared to other regions in Portugal, as such, it'd be a shame if you only got to know Évora and didn't explore some of the lesser-known attractions of the region.
My first suggestion is Mértola, a peaceful riverside walled ancient village perched on a cliff overlooking the Guadiana River. As with many historic towns in the region, there's also a beautiful castle for you to visit. Come here for some tranquillity and don't forget to visit besides the castle, the village's main church, Convento de S. Francisco (convent) and the Torre do Relógio (clock tower). In the vicinities you have a Natural Park, Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana, where you'll find the peculiar waterfall of Pulo do Lobo.
My next suggestion is the beautiful city of Serpa. Serpa is a pleasure to visit with its walled historic centre. This rural settlement has got a beautifully preserved palace, a castle which visitors can enjoy after they have stopped for a few moments to admire the dramatic entrance through a piece of a cracked wall, an 11th-century aqueduct, a clock tower and many narrow cobbled alleys with whitewashed traditional houses. Serpa is also famous for the cheese made in this region. Every year there's a cheese festival to celebrate the tasty 'Queijo de Serpa' during the first week of March.
Just around the corner from Serpa you'll find the city of Moura. If you thought Serpa was quite rural then Moura feels like the movie set of a Western movie. People around here live off the land as probably did their ancestors over the many centuries since the creation of this city. The legend has it that the city is named after the Moorish Princess Moura Saluquia who threw herself from one of the towers of the castle after her lover was killed and she was tricked by the Portuguese, who dressed up in his clothes, into lowering the drawbridge. Moura has a beautifully preserved castle, an interesting Moorish quarter considered one of the best-preserved in southern Portugal, many interesting churches such as the church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo which is adjacent to a now-abandoned Carmelite convent, and the seventeenth century Igreja de Sao Pedro. You can also visit some of the villages around Moura such as Safara which has a beautiful church right on the village's main square. If you're hungry stop for some regional food at 'O Arcada' in Safara.
Mourão might have the most beautiful castle in the Alentejo Region. This small village is situated close to the river Guadiana which has since the construction of a damn become a massive artificial lake, one of the largest in Western Europe. Whenever you are on higher ground when in Mourão, if you look past the village itself all you'll see are rolling hills covered in olive trees and cork oak trees adding to the feeling of calm and peace that such a location offers.
Mourao has at the time of writing one of my favourite restaurants in the region, 'O Aficionado' where local men still gather impromptu to sing local folk songs called 'Cante Alentejano' while they drink wine and feast on local cheese, cured meats and bread.
Alandroal is another medieval hamlet in the Alentejo region, but it does differ from the other similar settlements since its castle was commissioned by Christian elites but built by a stonemason or architect of Islamic origin. This castle is considered one of the best examples of Mudejar art in Portugal.
Evoramonte is the sort of picturesque parish that you read about in fantasy books. Not far from the city of Evora, this beautifully preserved medieval village sits on top of Serra d’Ossa. Surrounded by impressive walls the castle itself is an architectural achievement with its four circular turrets laid on a square perimeter. Make sure you take your when exploring Evoramonte and visit every nook and cranny as there are countless interesting details of great historic importance within the fortification's walls.
Vila Viçosa is well known in Alentejo. This is also the place you're brought to as a kid on school trips to learn more about the history of our country if you happen to reside in the Alentejo region. The reason for this is that Vila Viçosa is like an open-air museum. Vila Viçosa is full of history and different from other such towns in the region due to the decorative pieces made of marble, which is to this day a fundamental part of the economy of the village. If you do happen to come to Vila Viçosa you'll be stunned by the number of old churches, convents, palaces and museums that you can visit. My favourite attractions are the Vila Viçosa's Ducal Palace, the Castle and the Archeology Museum (Museu de Arqueologia) but as previously mentioned there are many more places that you can visit so plan to stay at least two days in this marvellous village.
Elvas has always played an important role throughout the history of one of Europe's oldest nation-states, Portugal. Being so close to the border with Spain, Elvas helped fend off different invasions time and time again. All that former glory still exists in the form of many narrow cobbled streets, ancient churches, charming squares, museums, impressive architectural feats like the Amoreria Aqueduct, and magnificent star-shaped fortresses like the Forte de Nossa Senhora da Graça.
Elvas is also home to some culinary delicacies like the Elvas Plums which can be eaten on their own, on toast or can accompany a traditional cake found in this region called Sericaia, a sort of cake/pudding of which you can't just have one slice, trust me.
Arronches is the next small village on this list. Not far from the border with Spain, characterized by its small whitewashed houses with the typical coloured bands around windows and doors Arronches starts its life as a place of great strategic importance during the Middle Ages. Due to various events such as earthquakes, the passage of time and lack of maintenance, the important 14th Century Castle now lays in ruins but you can still visit one of its towers and parts of its walls which still stand.
I was born in Portugal but I must admit until recently I had never been to Castelo De Vide and that's entirely my fault. When the opportunity came up this last time I made sure Castelo De Vide was part of my itinerary and I'm glad I finally visited this gem of a little town. I believe one could say this is probably one of Portugal's most underrated attractions since it ticks all boxes of other similar more well-known places.
Hilltop medieval hamlet - check
Beautiful churches - check
Beautiful squares - check
Whitewashed housed - check
Lush countryside - check
Welcoming locals - check
Great and at the same time cheap food - check
Make sure you spend at least a day exploring this beauty, and if it still exists when you go there, try some locally brewed beer - 'Cerveja Barona'.
Marvão is one hilltop village that you won't forget soon after you have visited it. Apart from being an absolute stunner, it's set on a great granite escarpment with 360 views of the entire region, as well as, views of the Serra de São Mamede, the lovely city of Estremoz, the mountainous range of Serra da Estrela, Castelo de Vide and also Portugal's main rival in the Middle Ages, Spain. Marvao is a place that is often featured in many promotional videos about this region of Portugal but usually not that much visited by foreigners although local tourists do come here often. As you can imagine by now, Marvão like many other walled towns close to the border with Spain of this region also features a castle that was used as a vantage point to spot possible invaders.
Monsanto is not technically in the Alentejo region but it is not far and sits instead in the Beira-Baixa region. Here houses follow none of the traditional architectural rules is famous for the gigantic granite boulders where previous settlers decided to build their lairs. These people have literally built their houses, tucked between, on, or underneath these giant rock formations. The village of Monsanto Monsanto hangs off a mountaintop overlooking the countryside and due to being quite remote, it has hardly changed in the many years since it has existed. Here you'll notice that the traditional whitewashed villages of the Alentejo region have completely gone and are instead replaced by stone houses. Monsanto will surely impress you for its uniqueness.
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