A TYPICAL ALENTEJO MONTE IN A TRANQUIL VALLEY

The house: The property is independent from other houses and consists of three small linked cottages each with its original Alentejo chimney. Set in a quiet vale, with no through traffic, it is typical of the Alentejo landscape – sweeping open agricultural countryside dotted with cork trees. The area is amazingly beautiful and full of history providing an ideal environment for a peaceful, relaxing holiday. This is the “real Portugal” the Portugal that few tourists get to see. The house is long, low and white with blue edging, red doors and huge white chimneys – a traditional “monte”. In the interior, wherever possible, all traditional features have been retained or modern equivalents chosen to match. All the rooms (except the bathroom which is modern) have traditional Portuguese architectural style with beam and cane ceilings, red floors and white walls and are decorated with furniture and objects from the region.

Estremoz: Probably the most striking thing about this small Alentejo city is the marble. Everywhere you walk marble dominates your view. It is not surprising as the region produces 85% of the marble in Portugal and is second only to Italy in Europe. It is the marble that formed the wealth of the area and attracted the nobility. Seis reis - the six kings, or in reality five and one queen, had connections with Estremoz and you can trace the history starting at the thirteenth century tower at the top in the castle where you will find the remains of what was one a royal palace and other historical buildings. Coming down into the walled town, with defences built later in the sixteenth century, you pass through narrow streets of old houses to reach the main square. Bordered on three sides by buildings which were once convents, you will find the focal point of the city with museums and tourist information and on Saturday morning the local market.

The area: Perhaps the best know place is Evora - a World Heritage Site which retains almost all of the original city wall plus also a Roman temple and a chapel built with bones. In the Evora area are some of the most spectacular Neolithic monuments to be seen in the Iberian Peninsula with others near Elvas and Pavia. Not far from Evora is the town of Arriolas, famous for it’s carpets and tapestries. North to Portalegre there is the National Park of the Serre de S.Mamede and the fortified village of Marvaõ set spectacularly on a rock escarpment. Also in the area there is the breeding centre for the Lusitania horses at Alter do Cháo. To the south west we have the largest man made lake in Europe, another fortified village high on the rocks – this time Monseraz and further pre-historic sites to explore in the region.