All good things comes in three.
And the best news is, this is only our second visit to Évora so we certainly need to go back another time!
For the great food? The wines? Nature? The quietness you ask?
Yes, all of them.
But the main reason why we are so riveted to the Alentejo region is Villa Extramuros. A little piece of Heaven on earth.
See previous post Évora for more info
One of the advantages of a repeating visit is that you are even more à l’aise.
You don’t need to rush to discover everything because you have seen already plenty of things. Tempo lento and go with the flow.
On our way to Estremoz we stopped several times to enjoy the landscape and blue painted skies with a touch of clouds.
While driving thru the area you will see oak trees everywhere alternated with olive trees.
Discovered by coincidence Estremoz town hall is a pearl. Part of the interior walls are tiled with those typical blue tiles or Azulejos. Since this is a public place entrance was free.
At 10 mins driving from Vila Extramuros you have another little gem, Pousada Convento at Arraiolos. It’s a 16th century monastery that has been turned into a hotel. The transformation was done with respect and they kept the chapel open for visitors. If closed, go to the hotel lobby and on request they will grant you acces. How wonderful!
Arraiolos is small and sleepy town. It is best known for its hand-embroidered Portuguese tapestries, Bordado de Arraiolos. The technique used is an oblique cross-stitch, known worldwide as the Arraiolos stitch.
You can have tasty and local food in the different restaurants. One of them, O Alpendre, has an extensive selection of great local wines. One remark, don’t order too much. The portions they serve are hUge!
Landscape wise we were also spoiled. Last time when we were in Portugal everything was barren and brown. Now the grass looks lush and green without the searing temperatures. A delight to the eye.
For our last 2 nights we decided to try-out L’And Vineyards.
A resort with suites and villas spread around an artificial dug lake. The architecture is nice but their concept differs from Vila Extramuros. I personally felt lucky that we stayed off-season and the number of visitors was limited.
One advantage, they have a restaurant with great food and their own wines.
