SHARE TRAVEL NEWS: Alentejo , Portugal is the best garden to discover

Share By Nick Munday
Covering around a third of Portugal, Alentejo offers a smooth transition from the hustle and bustle of Lisbon through to the glorious holiday resorts of the Algarve in the South. Affectionately labelled the ‘Garden of Portugal’, Alentejo is a diverse landscape of wildflower meadows, verdant vineyards and dense cork forests. The boundaries of this region are fringed by 100km of protected coastline in the West and the granite foothills of the Serra de Sao Mamede Mountain Range in the East. Together with medieval castles and stately mansions, picturesque rural hamlets reveal a rich and fascinating history and are definitely worthy of exploration.

Wine routes

The art of wine-making is a source of pride for residents of Alentejo, and it’s no surprise why Alentejan wines have earned a reputation for being some of the best in Europe. Whether you like your reds or your whites, there is a glass (or a bottle) for you, and what better way to discover it than taking a tour of a vineyard or winery? Many vineyards host wine tasting tours and visitors can come to sample the local variety and learn about the local wines over dinner. While there are countless estates that offer this service, Quinta do Carmo near Estremoz and Adega Major in Serra de Sao Mamede come highly recommended. While it is said Alentejan wines are young and full of exuberance, they are best enjoyed slow, and the same can be said for holidays in Alentejo. ........ keep reading ........... http://bit.ly/2v09wLd