10 things to see in Alto Alentejo
Today we're talking about 10 must-see places in Alto Alentejo!
1. Alamal Walkways
Located in the district of Portalegre, these walkways allow you to take a different kind of stroll through the natural landscapes of the Alentejo!
2. Barca d'Amieira Trail
This trail, about 3.6 kilometres long, connects Barca d'Amieira, in Amieira do Tejo, to the transparent viewpoint over the Tagus (skywalk), next to the Fratel Dam. Get some comfortable footwear and go for it!
3. Rua de Santa Maria in Nisa
Right in the historic centre of Nisa, Rua de Santa Maria, known for its unparalleled cobbled streets, was recently renovated!
4. Alter do Chão Stud Farm
The Alter do Chão Stud Farm is the oldest and most remarkable Portuguese Stud Farm in the world and the one that has been in operation uninterruptedly for the longest time. It's definitely worth a visit.
5. Fort of Graça in Elvas
This splendid and grandiose building in Elvas is an example of 18th century military architecture and is considered by many historians to be one of the most powerful fortresses in the world!
6. Campo Maior Historic Area
Who doesn't love strolling through the streets of any city's historic centre? Campo Maior has an unmissable historic area, where the medieval Campo Maior Castle stands out above all.
7. Portalegre Tapestry Museum
This museum is dedicated to Portalegre tapestries, their conservation and study and honours Guy Fino, founder of the Portalegre Tapestry Manufactory. You'll find real works of art and be amazed!
8. Estremoz Castle
Estremoz Castle, built in a dominant position on a hill to the north of the Ossa mountain range, was commissioned by King Dinis for Queen Santa Isabel in the 13th century.
9. Avis River Beach on the Maranhão Reservoir
You'll want to visit Praia Fluvial de Avis until the end of the summer and enjoy the incredible scenery! It's located just 5 minutes from the centre of the parish of Avis.
10. Barragem de Montargil - Atividades Náuticas
At the Montargil Dam, as well as enjoying the nature and calm of this place, you can also do countless nautical activities, such as riding a motorbike, kayaking, paddle surfing and much more!
Which destinations do you think are unmissable in the Alentejo?
Goat cheese and tomato sandwiches
What goes best with summer? Practical, quick and light recipes! Find out how to make a delicious sandwich with products from our Pantry.
? INGREDIENTS
1 loaf of bread
1 handful of rocket
1 teaspoon of hot pepper mustard
2 slices of tomato
4 slices of goat's cheese
salt to taste
? PREPARATION
1. Cut the bread in half and spread both halves with a little hot pepper mustard.
2. Then add the rocket, goat's cheese and sliced tomatoes.
3. Season with a pinch of fresh salt and cover with the other half of the bread.
4. Wrap in aluminium foil or cling film, pressing the bread tightly.
5. Leave to stand for 1 hour before serving.
Share your recipes with us!
5 foods you really have to try in Alentejo
Visiting the Alentejo is synonymous with a gastronomic journey. The Alentejo is the perfect place to explore new flavours and venture out to taste foods so typical (and delicious) of this region. From sausages, cheeses, olive oils, wines and even a Ginjinha. Let's see which will be your favourite!
1. Black Pork Sausage
The unforgettable flavour of black pork bellyIt is smoked over holm oak wood. It's made from a mixture of black pork meat, salt and paprika. It's fantastic for savouring raw or roasted on the grill.
2. Alto da Capela Red Wine
One red wine light and fruity ruby colour, the result of total destemming, pre-fermentation maceration, temperature-controlled fermentation and prolonged maceration.
3. Sheep's cheese
O sheep's milk cheeseIt has an intense but extremely pleasant aroma. The artisanal production process it undergoes gives it a unique flavour. A curiosity is its vacuum packaging, which is only done on the day of dispatch, thus guaranteeing the highest quality and most authentic flavour.
4. Franciscan sour cherry
This is our true star, the Franciscan sour cherryA real nectar full of stories and experiences. An artisanal product, made using a conventual recipe from the Franciscan Friar, é produzida a partir de ginjas frescas, sem quaisquer corantes, conservantes, essências ou água. Uma verdadeira especialidade que não pode deixar de provar. Vai deixar água na boca...
5. Gourmet Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Alentejo and olive oil always go together. Here you can experience the special flavour of our gourmet extra virgin olive oilaromatic, fruity and slightly spicy.
Explore our larder to discover more foods you really have to try in the Alentejo.
Tomato soup
And who doesn't love tomato soup, typical of the Alentejo?
This dish is quick to make and loved by the whole family!
? INGREDIENTS
1kg ripe tomatoes
2 to 3 medium onions
4 to 6 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon oregano
1 green chilli
Pennyroyal
Egg
Salt
Bread
? PREPARATION
- Chop the garlic and cut the onion and chilli into strips. Sauté everything in olive oil.
- Add the tomatoes cut into small pieces, the bay leaf, oregano and pennyroyal and season with salt.
- After sautéing, add water.
- When it comes to the boil, add the egg and boil for 3-4 minutes.
- When it's cooked, check the salt, pour the broth over the slices of bread in a tureen and it's ready for the table!
Share your recipes with us!
5 holiday stays in Alentejo
Fancy a holiday in Portugal? The Alentejo is a perfect and very special place for your next holiday! Despensa Franciscana's mission is to publicise the diversity of Alto Alentejo and contribute to the increase in visitors to the region and the growth of the local economy. That's why we have 5 suggestions for your holidays in Portugal.
1. Casa do Peso
Casa do Peso is an 18th century country manor house, built by Manuel Martins Durão, a wealthy landowner and farmer from the municipality of Crato, in 1740. The current owners have refurbished the house, adapting it so that it can comfortably accommodate guests in 10 rooms (some of which are suites).
The aim was to provide the house with the comfort required today, with all the rooms having private bathrooms, central heating and air conditioning, period furniture and decoration, and high-quality replicas, in a mixed thematic concept, all based on Portuguese Tradition, History and Culture. The house now has ten bedrooms, several living rooms, an interior patio, a garden and a swimming pool.
2. Almojanda 3 Olive Tree
A rural tourism/country house unit located in Herdade de ALMOJANDA, 8 kilometres from the city of Portalegre. It is made up of 3 houses and all guests have use of the communal balcony and swimming pool. The pool is communal, has treatment and is monitored, if the occupancy rate is full during your stay, there is the possibility of rotating schedules and sunbeds assigned to each house.
3. Monte das Azinheiras
In Vale do Peso - Crato in the Alto Alentejo, Monte das Azinheiras is a small, 5-hectare private paradise, ideal for a holiday with family and friends. At Monte das Azinheiras you'll have the chance to get in touch with nature, interact with the animals, visit the organic vegetable gardens, relax by the pool and learn about wine production.
4. Quinta do Barrieiro
Quinta do Barrieiro is a well-kept secret in the north of the Alentejo, situated at an altitude of 750 metres in the heart of the Serra de S. Mamede Natural Park in Marvão, exclusive to those looking for a quiet space in a relaxed atmosphere, surrounded by the greenery of a landscape of pure nature and creativity.
5. Marvão Inn
It is located within the walls of the historic town of Marvão. In a familiar and extremely professional environment, you'll find a house with a comfortable lounge, a fully equipped dining room, where breakfast is served daily, enriched with regional delicacies.
The Estalagem de Marvão consists of 6 accommodation units, with rooms with double or single beds, including a room prepared for people with reduced mobility and two rooms for families of 3 or 4 people.
Discover more Rural Tourism stays in our Alentejo, Portugal at indispensable!
5 restaurants you really have to try in Alto Alentejo
1. Segredo d'Alecrim - Fronteira
Elogiado por muitos, o restaurante Segredo d'Alecrim é reconhecido pelo ambiente agradável mas, acima de tudo, pelas refeições alentejanas fenomenais.
Contacts:
Largo Mal. Carmona, 21 7460-109 Fronteira
Telephone: 245 609 132
2. Sal, Alho e Etc - Portalegre
Those who don't know about Sal, Garlic and Etc, don't know what they're missing! This typical Alentejo restaurant has the best that this part of the country has to offer!
Contacts:
Avenida piu XII cave, 7 7300-043 Portalegre
Telephone: 963 926 655
3. Regata - Alpalhão
Anyone who goes to the Regata restaurant always has to come back! With a 5 star service, the Alentejo dishes are very well prepared and the desserts are divine!
Contacts:
Str. das Amoreiras, 6 6050-016 Alpalhão
Telephone: 245 742 162
4. D. Pedro V - Castelo de Vide
Um local carregado de história onde vai poder desfrutar de uma excelente Carne de Porco à Alentejana, Migas, Sericaia de Ameixa d'Elvas, e muitos outros pratos alentejanos.
Contacts:
Praça D. Pedro V, 10 7320-113 Castelo de Vide
Telephone: 245 901 236
5. Abrigo do Ferro - Portalegre
The Abrigo do Ferro restaurant in Portalegre is a family space with great service and an excellent price for the quality of its Alentejo dishes!
Contacts:
R. de Elvas, 74 7300-147 Portalegre
Telephone: 925 344 690
What are your recommendations?
Sericaia
A Sericaia é um doce conventual típico do Alentejo mas adorado por todo o país! A receita é simples, mas deliciosa...
? INGREDIENTS
- 6 eggs
- 250g sugar
- 75gr flour
- 500ml milk (whole)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 lemon (peel)
- cinnamon powder
- a pinch of salt
? PREPARATION
- Mix the sugar and flour in a saucepan, then add the whole milk, cinnamon sticks, 1 lemon rind and salt over a low heat, stirring constantly until it boils.
- When it comes to the boil, remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon peel and cinnamon sticks, set aside and allow the mixture to cool.
- When the mixture is cold, separate the yolks from the whites and add the sugar. Mix until you have a velvety cream.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture.
- If you don't have the traditional Sericaia dish, use a large baking tin. Heat the tin for 5 minutes in the oven at 225º C.
- When the oven is hot, remove the tin and pour in the mixture, sprinkle generously with the cinnamon powder, lower the oven temperature to 180ºC and bake for 60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- Serve plain or with Elvas plums in syrup!
Share your recipes with us!
Interview with Monte da Colónia
We had a chat with the friendly owner of Monte da Colónia, Manuela Pereira, who told us a little about the history of the company and the products they produce and commercialise. There was also time to taste a new red wine reference, which comes from the combination of the Touriga Nacional and Cabernet Sauvignon grape varieties. Soon to be available on the market and in our Franciscan Pantry!
Manuela, how and when did it all begin?
It all began in 1980 when the company was founded in these rich Alentejo lands of Herdade do Monte da Colónia, Vale de Seda, in the municipality of Fronteira, by my parents Manuel and Idalina Pereira, who, at the time, were extremely entrepreneurial and visionary in the way they saw the future. It was through this ambition, partnership and daily commitment that they built the family business that they are so proud of today, and which continues on its path through me and my brother António.
Having this legacy is an enormous responsibility...
Yes, having received this legacy from our parents was so exciting that continuing it was an act of enormous humility and gratitude. We have an authentic spirit and are audacious in the way we act, because every day we look for all the innovative processes on the market so that we can maintain and sustain all the business areas on the 1,000 hectares we own.
And what business areas are these?
Our business basically involves the production and processing of locally grown products, particularly olive oil, tinned olives and wines. We also have an area dedicated to raising cattle and sheep.
Tell me a bit about your olive oil and how it's produced.
We currently have a highly modernised cold extraction mill, where we press not only olives from Monte da Colónia's 100 hectares of olive groves, but also from olive growers in the region.
We produce an average of 200,000 to 300,000 litres of olive oil per season, divided into three qualities - Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil e Virgin Olive Oil. The olives are processed on the day they are picked so that the quality standards remain unchanged.
What about the wine business?
Success in winemaking has undoubtedly been one of the best rewards the family has received for taking risks, investing and believing in the whole process of business growth and innovation over the last 20 years.
Of the 20 hectares occupied by vines of the varieties - Aragonez, Cabernet Sauvignon, Arinto.., Alicante BouschetOn average, we produce Castelão, Syrah, Trincadeira, Verdelho, Roupeiro and Touriga Nacional:
- 100 mil litros de Vinho Tinto divididos em várias referências – Entrada de gama, Selected Harvest, Monocasta Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Escolha and Booking.
- 10 mil litros de Vinho Branco com as castas – Arinto, Wardrobeamong others.
- 6 mil litros de Vinho Rosé com a casta – Touriga Nacional.
... and yet Sparkling wine which, combined with the soil, the climate, the unity and dedication of the family, its employees and the expertise of winemaker Rui Vieira, guarantee the fullness of Monte da Colónia wines.
And what's still to come, Manuela?
Due to the evolution of our business in recent years, we felt the need to take another step forward and position ourselves for sustainable growth, making the most of all our company's resources and, above all, all the by-products resulting from our activity.
At the beginning of 2020, the company invested in the construction of a Distillery, where it will create a new line of products - Aguardentes, Abafados and Gin, which we hope to launch by the end of the year.
You can find all of Monte da Colónia's products in our pantry!
Quinta do Barrieiro
Quinta do Barrieiro is a well-kept secret in the north of the Alentejo, situated at an altitude of 750 metres in the heart of the Serra de S. Mamede Natural Park in Marvão, exclusive to those looking for a quiet space in a relaxed atmosphere, surrounded by the greenery of a landscape of pure nature and creativity.
Maria Leal da Costa and José Manuel Coelho, the owners, have transformed the old farmhouse into an accommodation centre where all the houses are different, starting with the art that makes them up, the architecture that defines them and the nature that surrounds them.
Through the artist's hands the works that characterise them are born and through the architect's the lines that give them their shape, resulting in their true authenticity. The Quinta's four hectares are home to nine units, including four one-bedrooms, three one-bedrooms, a three-bedroom and a loft, Maria Leal da Costa's exhibition gallery, the swimming pool with panoramic views over the hillsides, the fish pond, the two lakes and the constant exposure to wildlife. It is in the most recent project, the Alentejo Sculpture Park, which is also part of the Quinta, that the purpose of its existence becomes even clearer and more evident. Here you will have the opportunity to take guided tours and themed programmes, where you can appreciate all the works of the well-known artist.
We spoke to the owners' son, João Leal da Costa, who left behind his mechanical engineering career in Lisbon to dedicate himself body and soul to this project in the Alentejo. A place where we can combine tourism, nature and an open-air art gallery. A true oasis in the region.
Estalagem de Marvão - Casa de Campo
THE Marvão Inn is located within the walls of the historic town of Marvão. In a familiar and extremely professional environment, you'll find a house with a comfortable lounge, a fully equipped dining room, where breakfast is served daily, enriched with regional delicacies.
The Estalagem de Marvão consists of 6 accommodation units, with rooms with double or single beds, including a room prepared for people with reduced mobility and two rooms for families of 3 or 4 people.
Soft tones and a cosy wooden floor provide a relaxing atmosphere. Special emphasis is placed on the originality of the rustic furniture in chestnut wood, characteristic of the region. There is also a friendly regional shop, A Mercearia de Marvão, where you can find a wide variety of products from the Alto Alentejo region, including our own Franciscan sour cherry.
There are many good reasons to visit the Alentejo and get to know Marvão in any season. Catarina Machado, head of the Estalagem/Mercearia, will be delighted to welcome you.
Contacts
Rua do Espírito Santo nº1 / 7330 - 117 Marvão
Telephone: 968147862 /245993059