South West Alentejo Food & Wine Tour

ALVITO

After breakfast, leave Évora or Lisbon towards southern Alentejo and stop to stroll around Alvito, a lovely pretty walled village with a castle, now transformed in a pousada. The etymology of the word Alvito refers us to Olivetto, whose literal translation of this derivation from Latin, to the Portuguese of today, would be Olival (olive grove). This is easily proven by the countless millennial olive trees that are found in the county. But Alvito played an important role in the Portuguese history; it was the first Portuguese town in being conquered from the moors. Conquered by the Portuguese in 1234, the village of Alvito is donated to D. Estêvão Anes in 1251, chancellor of the kingdom, by D. Afonso III and by the Pestanas of Évora. From this date, mainly through the action of the chancellor, it is carried out to repopulate, becoming Alvito a town with considerable dimensions for the time a quite wealthy.

WINES FROM LOWER ALENTEJO

After the relaxed tour, head to a lovely winery (Herdade do Rocim) in the Lower Alentejo, with a size of 120 hectares, 70 of which are vineyards and 10 of olive trees. Enjoy a great visit, breathe the slow approach and sustainable project and enjoy a superb wine tasting before lunch.

After lunch, we’ll take you to your “dream home” for the next two days.

SECOND ALENTEJO WINES IMMERSION

Wake up in full calm. Breath deeply. Feel the land. After breakfast, be ready for a winery tour to discover an exuberant and diverse landscape of great Alentejo estates and feel the warmth of the Portuguese. After the winery visit, wine tasting and lunch at the estate.

BEJA

We suggest a tour of Beja. The first city of the Baixo Alentejo is simple, cozy and not touristy, with a walled center, a nice Medieval castle and strong Roman references, in where all points of interest are easily reachable on foot. Often dismissed as a porr version of Évora, Beja has a certain inferiority complex, although she shouldn't. Its picturesque squares and good food scene invite to make a stop and relax to enjoy the genuine Portuguese essence.

Back to the hotel, you shouldn’t miss a tour of their wine estate, we would arrange it before dinner.

THE ENCHANTING FARMHOUSE

After breakfast, your driver will take you in the middle of the Alentejo Coast, halfway between the countryside and the ocean, to your new “home” where simplicity reigns. Doing nothing is the greatest luxury. As you discover the surroundings, you will want to stay and stop the time.

Relax, time is yours today and you might want to swim - indoor or outdoor, you decide -, take a massage appointment, saddle up for a scenic horseback ride, picking vegetable from the vegetable garden or quad riding, or why not a mindful private yoga lesson or a culinary workshop. Welcome to the rural paradise.

COSTA VICENTINA WINES

After a rewarding breakfast, you’ll visit some vineyards by the Atlantic, a lovely wine project. These vineyards can be found in Brejão, where Alentejo’s high temperatures are attenuated by the ocean, the typical concentration of an inland viticulture being balanced by the sea freshness and moisture, leading to an optimal maturation. Take a detour to Azenha do Mar to clearly understand the terroir. Back to the winery, enjoy a wine tasting of the full range. Time for lunch, we’ll take you to some of the coastal towns for a seafood rustic meal. 

Back to the hotel, free afternoon-evening to satisfy your mindfulness.

ATLANTIC WINES

On your way North we want to contribute to long-lasting memories and a séjour in Comporta looks the greatest spot for a last stop. There is an area bathed by the cold Atlantic waters that has seen the birth of a wines subregion, from Grândola to Zambujeira a few wineries have realized the dream of making signature wines. Today we’ll take you to a new family adega, where 5 microclimates and 12 different soils have been identified among the 23 ha of vines from 8 to 50 years old. After the private visit and wine tasting, it’s time for lunch.

Might you want a signature cuisine style, we have the spot, if you prefer a beach club casual style, we’ll make it happen.

COMPORTA, WHERE LUXURY AND SIMPLICITY MEET

After lunch we will drive you to your last dream hotel. Not only Comporta has three of the most beautiful white sandy beaches: Praia da Comporta, Praia da Torre e a Praia de Troia-Mar and leisure options are endless: sailing, horse riding, birdwatching, surf or dolphin watching and the Sado Estuary is there to be explored too. But in your

After lunch, time for check-in and relax.

BEACH TIME

Refuge of artists, many compare Comporta to Saint-Tropez in the 50’s. There are no bustling beach clubs or huge resorts. Restaurants don’t offer shows. On this side of paradise less is more. So today you can decide to take a walk through the rice fields, over the stunning white sand dunes, only to discover a deserted beach; let Comporta's stretch of 60km of beaches be the perfect scenario for you to reconnect with nature and yourself.

… OR CULTURAL EXPLORATION

But your spirit might be avid of new cultural explorations. In the latter case we can propose you to visit Alcácer do Sal just half an hour northern. although it may not seem like it, it is one of the oldest towns in Europe, founded by the Phoenician and standing since 1000 BC. Currently it has a beautiful iron bridge, a good handful of interesting buildings, alleys to get lost and of course an appealing food scene.

Or you might opt for Santiago do Cacém, this time southern. The historic city is one of those little treasures worth discovering. Built on top of a hill, the castle of Arab origin dominates, and was disputed by the Christians in times of the Reconquest. Northern on another small promontory we find the ancient Roman ruins of Miróbriga. It may be charming to visit the pasture where the Black Pig gin distillery is located, a brand in honor of the magnificent specimens of black Iberian pig raised in freedom.

With several international awards, it is the only distillery in the world that makes its own alcohol, and in addition to gin they produce rum and strawberry tree liquor. More than a brand, it is a declaration of principles to promote the identity of a region through its products.

Transfer back to your oasis of peace for your last evening.

END OF JOURNEY

Today, private transfer to Lisbon airport, or to your next destination in case you decide to extend your trip.