Exploring Alentejo

Discovering Alentejo, South-West Portugal. Space and nature.

Taking the inland roads in Portugal is an excellent way to discover Alentejo. The national route N120 is bringing you from Sines (follow direction Lagos) passing the Mira river to Odeceixe, where the Algarve starts. On the seaside of this road you find the wild Atlantic oceans with spectacular cliffs and great surf spots. Long empty beaches you find at Malhão and Almograve and a secluded bay in Carvalhal. 

In the countryside there are a lot of hidden secrets to discover. Here you can make hikes along creeks, to waterfalls and even river beaches such as Pego das Pias, as well as farmsteads in the valleys and villages with white washed houses. The Alentejo is one of the most unpopulated part of Europe. Here there is no light pollution. You have clear skies and a fresh cool breeze from the Atlantic Ocean. 

A large area is occupied by the natural park — Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vincentina — and the rest is mainly agriculture land. Unfortunately due to bad land management, deforestation and climate change, this part is getting deserted. Luckily more and more regenerative projects are coming up with the aim to restore the soil and ecosystems and to re-establish natural water cycles. 

Real estate people call this area the black zone, as it is two hours far away from either Lisbon or Faro airport. And this is why this area is the less visited part of South West Portugal and not taken over by the second homeowners and tourists. The newcomers here are mostly people that are looking for an alternative lifestyle and want to settle down — either to go and live in one of the communities, or setting up their homestead and live a more independent lifestyle.