Alentejo is a region of sun-baked plains, huge skies and extraordinary light. Olive groves and cork plantations stretch as far as the eye can see, while great bustards glide on the thermals above. Standing stones, dolmens and stone circles dot the landscape, atmospheric reminders of an ancient culture. The coast is equally stunning – a string of hidden coves, sand dunes and wild beaches (Malhão, home to one of the largest colony of storks in Europe, is particularly beautiful).

The towns and cities of Alentejo are testament for the fierce battles with the Moors – many are sited on hills, walled and heavily fortified. The medieval town of Monsaraz well deserves its nickname of Ninho de Águias or ‘eagles’ nest’, perched high above the Rio Guadiana and offering amazing views of the surrounding countryside. The equally precarious whitewashed village of Marvão, facing the Spanish border, has even more spectacular views, while the nearby Castelo de Vide, a hill-top spa town, has a maze-like Jewish quarter and an outstanding 13th century synagogue.

Meanwhile, to the south, there are fascinating Roman, Moorish and early Christian remains at the museum site of Mértola. However, Évora is the centre of Alentejo is the realy beauty – a world heritage site with a Roman temple, a Romanesque and Gothic cathedral, Moorish terraces and a grisly Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of the Bones) inside the Igreja de São Francisco. Lined with the remains of over 5,000 monks, it bears the inscription ‘We bones lie in wait for yours’.

For culture vultures of a different sort, there’s always the big-drawn rock festival, Sudoest, held each summer at Zambujeira do Mar.

Highlights

A large southern region, just above the Algarve, ripe with fertile grasslands to the north and olive and oak trees to the south. The Southwest coastline features magnificent beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. Points of interest include the thermal spa at Castelo de Vide, the fortress town of Elvas, and the ancient Roman town of Beja.