24 hours in Elvas: Best things to do in Portugal’s fortress city
Elvas has been shot at, starved out and surrounded by Spanish troops. But not once did the largest fortified town in Europe fall to the Spanish – and they tried to take it four times. History is written into the walls of UNESCO-listed Elvas. Star-shaped bastions ring the historic core, dry moats cut around that, […]
After 11 years, this festival is back with millions of paper flowers
Paper flowers rustle overhead as we turn one corner, then another, then another, through a maze of almost 100 narrow streets covered in a handmade kaleidoscope of colour. Castanets click. A tambourine trailing bright ribbons taps out the rhythm. Neighbours sit on plastic chairs dragged onto the cobblestones. Beaming locals lean out their windows, watching […]
Where to stay in Évora: best boutique & historic hotels
Évora is one of my absolute favourite places in Portugal. I make a point to visit the sun-drenched capital of the Alentejo region at least once a year. It’s only a 90-minute drive or direct train ride from Lisbon, making it an effortless weekend escape or easy anchor for an Alentejo adventure or road trip […]
Best things to do in Estremoz: Portugal’s white marble city
The first time I visited Estremoz it was bucketing rain. I was trying not to slip on the tessellated marble pavement on the short walk between the car and the tasca. We were on our way from Lisbon to Seville for the Feria de Abril, and Estremoz was the perfect midway point to stop, stretch […]
24 hours in Arraiolos: Rugs, food & wine in the Alentejo
Set amongst rolling plains dotted with olive trees and cork oaks, Arraiolos is a small Alentejo town – not far from Lisbon or Évora – with a cool and unique craft culture. Over centuries, women of the quiet vila have hand-stitched a legacy of carpet weaving. I’ve visited Arraiolos several times over the years, drawn […]
1-Day hike: The most beautiful section of Portugal’s Fishermen’s Trail
Besides the caminho, mainland Portugal’s most famous multi-day hike must be the gorgeous Costa Vicentina’s Fishermen’s Trail. The 226.5-km (140-mile) coastal trail stretches along the south-west coast of Portugal, almost always with the ocean in sight. I’ve long been curious about hiking at least part of the trail, and spending a few nights in Porto […]
Hotel Review: A weekend at Hotel Convento de São Paulo
Alentejo sunsets always feel a little unreal – like someone’s nudged the saturation just slightly too far. That warm evening glow was our welcome to Hotel Convento de São Paulo, a place that had felt like a myth in my mind. We arrived as the sun was dropping low behind the Serra d’Ossa, after a […]
Explore Redondo, Portugal’s best-kept pottery secret
For more than 500 years the people of Redondo have dug their hands into the terra, digging up clay to make earthenware pottery with the heart and soul of the Alentejo. Both wine and pottery production flourished in Redondo in the 19th century, and it continues to be the Alentejo town’s most important artisan craft. […]
Bottomless wine and secret cellars: Redondo’s tasca and talha trail
Hidden tascas, endless vinho, and the soulful chorus of Cante Alentejano – was it just another Saturday afternoon in the Alentejo? When I want to really feel the heart and soul of Portugal, I like to dash out to the Alentejo region. Here in the villages, dotted between olive groves and forests of cork oaks, […]
How to spend 48 hours in Évora
Évora is an incredible small city where you can soak up history, dive into local gastronomy, or just slow down and enjoy the Alentejo’s famously relaxed pace. The UNESCO-listed centre is a time capsule of Roman, Moorish, and medieval influences, yet Évora has an energetic and youthful vibe. I live in Lisbon and have visited […]
The average person’s guide to A-list Comporta: Portugal’s luxe beach town
Some of Portugal’s most spectacular stretch of coastline is found just over an hour south of Lisbon. The golden sands around the Comporta region are some of the most wild, natural, and pristine in the whole country. Here pine forests bump up against vast sand dunes, gorgeous beaches back onto fields of rice, and local […]
Portuguese artisans: 11 traditional crafts from the Alentejo
I love meeting local artisans, watching them work, and hearing their stories. Here in Portugal, I regularly visit craft fairs and workshops to meet the people who work with their hands, often continuing a family trade many generations in the making. One Portuguese region that stands out for its strong traditional crafts and artisans is […]