Reclining between Lisbon and Algarve, the Alentejo—Portugal’s most rural and least populated region—is dotted with picturesque towns separated by cork forests and olive groves. But its many new goings-on offer a contrast with its unhurried pace.
In the ancient city of Estremoz, the new Museu Berardo Estremoz preserves traditional crafts like tile making. In Esperança, a roughly 10-mile trail through the Serra de São Mamede Nature Park takes hikers past 6,000-year-old cave paintings and birds of prey, including Bonelli’s eagles and Griffon vultures. A grownup theme park, Vila do Gin, is dedicated to the namesake spirit. After a day of adventure, visitors can stay at the new Octant Évora, nestled amid orchards and meadows. And the towns of Elvas and Évora, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, have a raft of new accommodations—including Vila Galé Collection Elvas, Travassos 11, and Hotel o Canto—that tastefully blend with their historic surroundings.
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