alentejo

The Alentejo area is commonly know as the "bread basket" of Portugal, which is a fitting title for this vast, open countryside, with its undulating plans and rich fertile soil. With very few exceptions, all the major towns are mainly reliant on agriculture, livestock and wood. Typical products from this area are grain, sunflower, carthame, fruit, vegetables, olives, wine, cork, eucalyptus, lamb, pig, kid, granite, schist and marble.

Topographically, the countryside varies considerably, from the open rolling plains of the south of the Alentejo to the granite hills that border Spain in the north-east. To supply enough water to cover this considerable area, a number of public dams have been constructed. In the heart of the productive agricultural zone of Moura, there is at present under construction the largest dam so far and it is claimed that, when finished, it will be one of the largest water surface areas in Europe. To the east of Portalegre is the Parque Natural da Serra de São Mamede, a fascinating nature park area that includes charming medieval villages which have changed very little over the centuries. In the south near Mértola is another nature park area named Parque Natural do Vale Guadina. This is mainly uninhabited and a contrast to the others above. To the west, the coastal strip that runs from the port of Sines down to Cape de São Vicente is also a protected area. The capital of the Baixa Alentejo is Beja, and the capital of the Alta Alentejo is Évora. Both these cities are rich in history, ruins and historical buildings. Their stories reflect the turbulent backgrounds of invasion, battles and occupation, either by Romans, moors or feuding royal houses within Portugal.