Alentejo is where you’ll find locals lounging in the heat of the day in historic plazas – raising a cap at a passing tourist or offering a toothy smile. The heat, the colours, the hospitality all make up the magic of this still, sedate landscape that lies in the south of Portugal.

Rich, red, rolling hills contrast with the green and silver of wiry cork and gnarly olive trees… lending mystery to a landscape already dotted with sleepy white villages and history-book castles. Alentejo is where you’ll find locals lounging in the heat of the day in historic plazas – raising a cap at a passing tourist or offering a toothy smile. The heat, the colours, the hospitality all make up the magic of this still, sedate landscape that lies in the south of Portugal.

Don’t expect to see many visitors here. If jostling crowds and souvenir shops are what you’re after, you’ve come to the wrong place. Empty roads lead to majestic towns where you’ll be delighted to uncover historical sites. Indulge in hearty red wines, rich cheeses and robust local specialties. This is the interior of Alentejo.

Boundless beaches of glorious white and golden sand front an enormous Atlantic seaboard. Seaside towns offer the best of fresh Atlantic seafood, crisp white wines accompany this fare and ocean-side villages offer up lots of local restaurant choices. In this still undiscovered area, you’ll easily bag the best spot on any beach you care to discover. This is coastal Alentejo.

A land of contrasts that deserves to be visited, explored and experienced. This is a land that will get beneath your skin and keep you coming back for more as you marvel at the diversity of this little-known region.