Day to visit Lisbon. Our suggestion is to start by an overview of downtown in the Parque Eduardo VII, coming down to Marquês de Pombal Square and Avenida da Liberdade. Head downtown and find Restauradores Square and Rossio. Take a view of the Tagus River and Praça do Comércio, climb up to São Jorge Castle. From up there the view is amazing all the way to the South Bend where you can see Cristo Rei Statue and 25th of April Bridge. Through Alfama and some other “bairros”, you will find that Lisbon is a mix of old costumes and traditions, and new trendy shops and restaurants, amazing night life and a breathtaking cultural environment.

Later head to the Belém quarter, and go back 500 years in time. This was the starting point to sail away and discover new lands and traditions. From the Belém Tower, an old defense fortress, to the Monastery of the Jerónimos, built in the 16th Century.

But a visit to Belém isn`t complete if you don`t try the famous pastry, Pastéis de Belém. You will love them, add a bit of cinnamon and powder sugar, tastes better.

After visiting Lisbon, head towards Almada, the left bank of the Tagus river, also known as the South bank, over the April 25^th of April bridge (same construction has the Golden Gate in San Francisco). Head towards Caparica; with 20kms of sandy beaches, it is ideal for both, swimmers and surfers.

1^st overnight – PE Fonte da Telha
GPS: 38.56704801320902, -9.193090795492594

Towards South you´ll find Sesimbra, with a clear and calm sea, ideal for swimming, and also for the food, since it´s a fisherman’s village.

Then, head to Palmela village, with superb views of the district of Setúbal and where you can visit the Castle, a national monument, now converted into a charming hotel. This region is also known for its wines, especially the famous “Moscatel” of Setúbal, and for its pastries, the “Tortas de Azeitão”.

Known as the “Costa Azul” (Blue Coast) and with its own microclimate and Mediterranean landscape, the hills of Arrábida reach an altitude of 503 meters, and provide challenging nature walks and amazing views. From the top of the mountain, one can see also the peninsula of Tróia, your next destination (you can go by ferry from Setúbal).

On the way to Sines, one of the main commercial ports of the country, you drive through Carvalhal. There are over 40 kms of desert and wild beaches.

In the next stop, in the village of Porto Covo, you will find Praia Grande, one of the most sought after by locals and tourists. Located near the north exit of the city. With good access, spacious and sheltered by cliffs, it is one of the most crowded during the summer, with blue flag, and a good surf spot. Among other beaches in the area are the Espingardeiro beach, the Pequena beach, the Buizinhos beach and the bay of Porto Covo.

2^nd overnight – PE Porto Côvo
GPS: 37.8523817340743, -8.789037730516043

Heading South will undergo Vila Nova de Milfontes, located in the estuary of the Mira river, which gives shelter to several species of birds and marine life, and Zambujeira do Mar, where in August is held the Southwest Festival, the largest music festival during the summer.

Next stop Castro Verde, a small agricultural town that owes its name to an old prehistoric Castro. You should visit Castro Verde on the 3rd Sunday of October to visit the agricultural and craft fair that dates back to the 17th century. It is very well-known and every year attracts thousands of visitors. Also, very interesting to see is the Basilica, covered from top to bottom with magnificent hand painted tiles. The panels of the upper section of the basilica, depict scenes of the battle of Ourique, a town 14 kms away, where Afonso D. Henriques, routed the Moors and was proclaimed King of Portugal.

Then visit Mértola village, an important river port from the 11th century, rising it´s castle in a dominant position on one of the Guadiana river stretch. Its importance was such, that during a short period in the 11th century was the capital of a small independent Islamic Emirate.

After, you´ll spend the night at the river beach of Tapada Grande – Mina de São Domingos. The beach is simply wonderful. It is equipped with a cafe/restaurant with terrace and picnic tables right near the beach, so you don´t have to walk far. The overnight parking for Motorhomes is 100 meters from the beach and has very good condition.

3^rd overnight – PE-TP Praia Fluvial Mina de São Domingos – Tapada Grande
GPS: 37.672309, -7.504258

The first stop will be on the Alqueva Lake, the largest artificial lake in Western Europe. It was constructed for the purpose of irrigation of the entire region and production of electricity, in addition to other complementary activities.

Today, the Alqueva Lake is used for boating, water sports and it is an ideal area for Stargazing, because of its total absence of light pollution. In its margins, we can visit places like Luz, Mourão, Monsaraz, among others.

Monsaraz, known locally as Ninho das Águias (Eagles’ Nest) – is perched high above the border plains, a tiny village nestled into fortified walls close to the Spanish border. The views from the walls are magnificent: to the north and west, you survey a typically flat Alentejo plain of vineyards and olive groves, while to the south and east a watery expanse glitters far below the village, part of Europe’s largest artificial reservoir behind the dam at Alqueva.

The village does its best to attract visitors with a series of little galleries, craft shops and restaurants, but it’s really the castle, the higgledy-piggledy streets and stunning views that keep people coming.

Four thousand years ago, the region around Monsaraz was an important centre of megalithic culture, and various dolmens (covered temples or tombs), menhirs (standing stones) and stone circles survive today. An hour and a half’s driving circuit takes in most of these, and if you throw in lunch and a vineyard visit at nearby Reguengos that’s a good day out. Don’t miss a small village called São Pedro do Corval, masters of traditional hand painted pottery.

The final site for this day is the city of Évora. Its historical, well preserved center, is one of Portugal richest in terms of monuments, which gave the name of the City Museum, and since 1986, declared World Heritage by UNESCO. The city is surrounded by a wall, protecting its cultural heritage. The local gastronomy and wineries are reasons why the city is called the « Alentejo Capital« .

4^th overnight – PE Évora
GPS: 38.576423313822275, -7.914415569482458

First stop of the day, Estremoz, lies in the center of a district rich in marble quarries – so much so that the material is used extensively in the most commonplace surroundings, as you’ll see when you wander its marble-clad streets and squares. It was once an important border settlement where Dom Dinis, an early monarch who set about fortifying Portugal’s frontiers, chose to locate his hilltop palace. Meanwhile, down in the lower town, the vast main square known as the Rossio – properly, the Rossio Marquês de Pombal – has long been the site of one of Portugal’s finest markets, held every Saturday. It starts and finishes early, so it pays to stay over in town on Friday night if you can.

The attractive hilltop town of Elvas, was once one of Portugal’s mightiest frontier posts, strategically positioned just 15km from Spanish Badajoz, to the east across the Guadiana River. Its star-shaped walls and outlying forts are among the best-preserved military fortifications in Europe, a factor that subsequently helped gain the town UNESCO World Heritage status. Its military significance long past, and down to a population of around 25,000, it looks largely to tourism these days – Spanish day-trippers pop over to climb the steep cobbled streets and sit in the restored central square, while the vibrant Monday market (held on alternate weeks) is a big attraction, held just outside town behind the aqueduct. Otherwise, the town’s main annual bash is its week-long Festa de São Mateus, starting on September 20 and including the largest procession in southern Portugal.

By the time, you’ve negotiated the winding road up to Marvão you’re ready for sensational panoramas, and the remote border outpost doesn’t disappoint. From the dramatically sited rocky outcrop high above the undulating mountain, there are unbeatable views, while within a complete circuit of seventeenth-century walls lies a higgledy-piggledy town of fewer than a thousand residents, inhabiting neat houses with granite windows and pitched red roofs.

5^th overnight – PE Marvão
GPS: 39.3941, -7.37347

First stop of the day, the small town of Castelo de Vide, throws up one of the nicest surprises in the Alentejo. A castle rises up above a fairy-tale townscape of bright white houses, while steep cobbled streets and placid squares are lined with well-watered pots of geraniums, tumbling house plants and two-meter-high sunflowers. Mineral springs pepper the local hills and the town is full of public fountains in gleaming squares and shaded gardens. It’s one of those places that begs an aimless, meandering stroll, and it’s very easy to find you’ve spent a couple of days here doing not very much at all quite happily.

Now head towards Nisa. Considered by an American magazine as one of the best in the world, the Cheese of Nisa is the most recognized and appreciated cheese of the Alentejo. Cured, semi-hard and a color between white and yellow, of handicraft production, it is made with raw milk of ewes of the local Merina Branca breed, coagulated with thistle and follows a process of slow draining of the curd and subsequent maturation, done in three distinct phases, during 45 days.

Situated in the borderline of Ribatejo and Alentejo regions, Ponte de Sôr is an essentially agricultural council. Cattle breeding, olive and cork production provide important revenues. It is one of the less populated zones of Central and South Portugal. It is possible to travel many miles without seeing one or two farms. Located in the middle of Sôr river stream, Montargil dam, mainly conceived for agricultural purposes, has created a vast reservoir. Nowadays, it is an area ideal for leisure, fishing and nautical sports that attracts many visitors.

Montargil is a true waterside resort where you can participate in waterskiing, sailing, windsurfing, rowing, trips in a hovercraft and sports fishing. The Maranhão reservoir, today provided with a leisure complex integrated within the new municipal Camping Park, is yet one more Alentejo location intimately associated with heritage. Overlooking the lake rises the town of Avis, with a historical centre which certainly deserves a visit.

6^th overnight – PE Fluviário de Mora
GPS: 38.95424, -8.10757