Alentejo
The Alentejo is an agricultural region, renowned for its cork plantations. It also boasts a number of barely discovered historic towns and an extensive coastline of windswept beaches.
This beautiful, hilltop town, still protected by a ring of fortified walls enclosing cobbled streets and quaint houses, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The sights are numerous and include a splendid medieval Cathedral (S), the Church of So Francisco, famous for its grisly ossuary, the 14th-century Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval and a ruined Roman temple.
Monsaraz is a splendid hilltop village near the Spanish border with traditional whitewashed houses, cobbled streets and fine views of the surrounding countryside. Marvo is an impressively sited medieval town, the clifftop location being the main attraction. Elvas retains its ramparts, gateways and historic old quarter. Vila Viosa contains the former palace (now a museum) of the Dukes of Bragana.
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