15-day round trip of the Alentejo and Algarve

The Alentejo was settled early on, so you can trace a long history in many places and even in small villages. This 15-day round trip in a hire car offers you a wonderful opportunity to do so, for example in Mértola, which is more than 3,000 years old. In the town itself, you will come across a charming, medieval town centre, while not far from the town in the Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana around 100 archaeological sites are waiting to be discovered by you.

With an almost tropical postcard panorama, Lagos welcomes you on a journey through the centuries, starting with the Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians. Many historic buildings will take you back to the great days of the Portuguese seafarers, as evidenced by the defiant walls of the Castelo dos Governadores.

In Évora, one UNESCO World Heritage Site follows the next. So you are virtually travelling in a very lively open-air museum. Walk in the footsteps of Romans and Visigoths, Moors and Christians. You will discover the mighty columns of the Diana Temple and feel a slight shiver run down your spine when the skulls of the Bone Chapel stare at you from empty caves. Perhaps you will also hold your breath for a moment at the Sé Cathedral in front of this fascinating testimony to medieval architecture and marvel at the engineering skills of the 16th century at the Aqueduto Água de Prata.

Every single stage of the Rota Vicentina is a scenic delight. The circular routes and day tours take you through fascinating landscapes. Fall in love with mountains that almost stretch their feet into the sea, plateaus where the view stretches as far as the eye can see or humid paradises such as lagoons, swamps and moors. Each of these landscapes has its very own gems. So take a closer look to the right and left of the path on the ground. Around 100 of the local plant species only grow in this region.

The colour of the Alqueva reservoir ranges from azure to deep blue. It lies majestically in the landscape like a huge gemstone from which small, green islands protrude. The backdrop of golden beaches, lush green vegetation and the small settlements on its shores is almost enchanting.

The beaches on this 15-day round trip through the Alentejo and along the Algarve are not just a perfect opportunity for (sun)bathing. At Lagos, they are hidden between colourful rock formations, impressive grottos and small tidal pools, which are worth a visit in themselves. On the Tróia peninsula, you can enjoy the view of the fantastic nature of the Sado estuary from the fine golden sand.

The Alentejo is a paradise for all slow food connoisseurs. Its varied, seasonal cuisine has even earned the region a reputation as the culinary soul of Portugal. While you can indulge in seafood, stockfish and other treasures from the nearby Atlantic on the coast, it is pork, bread and vegetables that tantalise the palate inland.And pampering is to be taken literally, especially when it comes to pork.The flavour here is completely different to what you are probably used to.Here, the pigs roam freely, move around a lot and eat acorns and other forage they forage themselves. This gives dishes such as Carne de Porco à Alentejana, pork with mussels, a very special flavour.

However, Alentejo cuisine would not be complete without olive oil, migas and … Petiscos. This Portuguese version of tapas comes in countless variations, with almost every restaurant having its own recipe, which often varies according to the season. The same applies to soups such as gazpacho, sopa de bacalhau and sopa de tomate com linguiça, a tomato soup with a sausage garnish.

There is something that will make you feel the Alentejo way of life like nothing else: the Cante Alentejano. In Serpa, the capital of this ancient singing tradition, listen to the old tunes with which the men sing about their love for this wonderful region – and feel a pleasant shiver run down your spine.

Take your time in Monsaraz and pop into one of the many small craft shops and studios in the town. Look over the artisan’s shoulder and learn more about the creation and tradition of woollen goods, wickerwork, pottery and ceramics or one of the many other handicrafts that are still lovingly cultivated here.

We do not offer standardised packages. Your Geotoura trip is customised according to your wishes.

We make this possible thanks to our high level of expertise and in-depth knowledge of the country as well as our excellent network of partners. You can look forward to extraordinary experiences, charming boutique hotels and very special insider tips on site.

Geotoura stands for the perfect planning of your personalised dream trip. Your individual price will therefore only include what really enriches your holiday.

Compared to standard holidays, this price is competitive. You will usually receive the comprehensive holiday design within 24 hours on working days.

Highly personalised trips are our speciality and the pleasure you deserve.