Vila Nova de Milfontes

Vila Nova de Milfontes has been named as Alentejo's Princess due to its very own charm and attractiveness. This small village is located in the Odemira district, in the Alentejo coastline. A fishing village with a strong connection to the ocean, in the estuary of the Mira river, in the heart of the wonderful Sudoeste Alentejano (Alentejo's Southwest) and Costa Vicentina Natural Park.

It's wide and beautiful beaches, the crystalline waters and the golden dunes are the region main highlights. Contrasting with the beautiful coastline panorama, the inland landscape is known for the typical Alentejo's plain grounds with cork oak trees, among other species traditional of this region.

The fortress (nowadays transformed into a hotel) was built in the reign of king D João IV, to assure the coast security. The monument in homage to the aviators reminds that it was in the nearby fields where Brito Pais, Sarmento de Beires and Manuel Gouveia took of, in 1924, for a risky flight that would take them to Macau.

The mild weather, the charming typical architecture, the Alentejo's famous delicious gastronomy, among other leisure activities that the region offers, are more that enough features that easily justify an amazing visit to this locality.

Alentejo

One is first taken by surprise by the remarkable traces of successive cultures: dolmens and cromlechs, Roman and Arab vestiges mingling with the most recent sign of Christianity of which the numerous medieval castles are but one example.

The north-western part of the region, located on the banks of the Tagus and dominated by Santarm, consists of fertile grasslands, where the finest bulls and horses roam peacefully. To the north-east are the beautiful villages and towns which make-up the so-called Rota dos Castelos (Castle route): Nisa, Castelo de Vide, Marvão, Portalegre and Alter do Chão.
Further south, the landscape becomes warmer and flatter; around Évora (one of the most beautiful towns in Portugal), are Monsaraz, Vila Viãosa, Estremoz, and Arraiolos (renowned for its hand-made tapestries, based on traditional drawings from the 17th and 18th centuries).

Driving on to the south, the vast plains become less inhabited and sunnier, the only shade being provided by the olive trees and oak trees and the only amenity being provided by refreshing dams. A trip to Alvito, Beja, Serpa and Mrtola will be worth your time. The coastline to the south-west offers the visitor magnificent Atlantic beaches. As the region with the highest thermal amplitude (going down to 5ºC or up to 33ºC), Planícies are a dispersely populated region with quite open horizons, where the rhythm of life follows the idle sound of regional songs.

Places to visit

Alcácer do Sal - The Moorish castle of Alcácer do Sal follows the lines of buildings from the Iron Age and the Roman times. In the year 966, so the chronicles say, a Viking army attacked Alcácer do Sal unsuccessfully, the reason being the very strong defense provided by the castle. The castle towers over a former Roman and Moslem town

Borba - Given a town charter by King Dinis, Borba is the center of an administrative area which is small but fiercely proud of its identity. This identity dates back to the very foundation of Portugal as a nation-state, as proved by the castle and city walls ordered built by King Afonso II. The whole place was built with local marble, including the paving stones in the streets.

What to see: The late 16th-century Church of São Bartolomeu is full of marble treasures, including the altars, tables, porticos, fonts, balustrades, basins and stairs. Rising above is a splendid vaulted Renaissance-style ceiling with medallions and religious paintings. In the center of the town is a huge white marble tank and fountain built by Queen Maria I in 1781.

Castelo de Vide - Located among olive groves and chestnut trees in the cool mountain region of São Mamede, Castelo de Vide is often referred to as the Sintra of the Alentejo. Scattered with monuments, this pretty spa town is a place of roses, fountains, orchards and old houses. Steep alleyways lead up to the castle through a 16th-century village, which is enriched with some of the most impressive Gothic entrances in Portugal.

What to see: King Denis began building the castle but it was his son, Afonso IV, who completed it in 1327. It was successfully defended by an Anglo-Portuguese force against the Spanish in June 1704. The town's oldest chapel, the 13th-century Salvador do Mundo, boasts a much-admired painting called Flight into Egypt by an unknown artist. The Jewish Quarter located in the east side of the Medieval town has cobble streets

Elvas - Famous for its sugar plums, Elvas is also a citadel, whose Spain-facing fortifications match those of Badajoz across the border. Three imposing gates lead into the city which, during its long and chequered history, has been besieged by Moors, Spaniards, Frenchmen and Englishmen.

What to see: Romano-Moorish in origin, Elvas Castle was rebuilt for King Sancho III in 1226. The 16th-century octagonal church of Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos is one of the prettiest sights in Portugal. Its main appeal lies in the fine marble columns and spectacular yellow and blue azulejo glazed tiles added in the 17th century.

Estremoz - Besides the large cities, very few Portuguese towns have been the setting for as many dramatic moments of our national history as Estremoz.

What to see: Town is crowned by a 13th century castle, with a citadel (currently a Pousada) and St. lsabel Chapel (18th cent.). Special reference to the Gothic Dom Dinis Palace, S. Francisco Church and Convent (Roman-Gothic), Paãos do Concelho (14th cent.), Maltesas Convent (16th cent.), and the Municipal Museum. The church of the Misericórdia located on Estremoz's large market square was once a convent of the Knights of Malta.

Évora - Museum town of Roman origins, with historic center classified in UNESCO's International Heritage list. It was taken from the Moors in 1166 by an outlaw knight, Gerald the Fearless, who scaled the walls at night on a ladder of lances. Évora later became a popular residence of Portuguese kings.

What to see: Roman temple; Cathedral, housing Sacred Art Museum (Roman-Gothic); S. Brás Chapel (Gothic Moorish); S. Francisco Church (with Capela dos Ossos) and St. John the Baptist Church (Gothic-Manueline); churches of Nossa Senhora da Graãa (with convent), St. Antão and S. Vicente (Renaissance). Palaces: Archiepiscopal, Dom Manuel and Dukes of Cadaval.

Special reference also to: Praãa de Giraldo, with medieval arches; Aqueduct; Convents of St. Clara, St. Helena do Calvário and Lóios (this one currently a Pousada); University; ancient Jewish quarter; Évora Museum.

Marvão -This tranquil town is completely surrounded by walls dating from the 13th to the 17th century. From the narrow streets filled with neat white houses a spectacular view can be obtained, as Marvão stands at more than 862 meters high. Near Marvão, one can play golf at Vale da Aramenha.

What to see: 15th century mother church and the Municipal Museum, open in the former church of Santa Maria and displaying local ethnological and cultural traditions and archaeological findings. Rua do Espírito Santo, with the former governor's house exhibiting beautiful iron-wrought balconies from the 17th century, leads to the castle, mostly built by King Dinis in 1299 and dominating the village.

Mrtola - The town's main attraction is its castle, built by the Moors, with a guard tower from the 13th-century. The main church, with its sculpted facade, contains elements from the Manueline period, occupies the site of what once was an ancient mosque. Mrtola has three important museum sites as a consequence of the intense archeological activity there.

The Roman museum occupies the Town Hall building. The Islamic collection includes the country's most important archive of ceramic objects (9th to 13th-centuries). Here too is one of the rarest early Christian basilicas in the entire Iberian peninsula (dating from the 5th-century).

Monsaraz - Perched above the River Guardiana on the frontier with Spain, the tiny medieval walled town of Monsaraz is one of the most atmospheric places in the Alentejo. With its narrow cobbled lanes, low-rise old houses and an imposing castle, visitors are offered a feel of medieval Portugal in one of the oldest places in the country. Regained from the Moors in 1167, the town was handed over to the Knights Templar before Dom Dinis added the castle and fortified walls in the 14th century.

What to see: The parish church of Santa Maria do Castelo houses an ornate marble tomb dating from the 13th century. Next door is a religious museum containing a 14th century fresco of a judge being simultaneously tempted by the devil and encouraged by the majestic justice of Christ.

Portalegre - A town located close to the border of Spain that has strong religious background and this is evident by the number of churches and monasteries dating from the 13th Century.

What to see: the Cathedral, St. Bernardo Convent, the church of St. Francisco Monastery (13th-18th cent.), and the Regional, Sacred Art, Municipal Library and Casa de Jos Rgio Museums, the ruined castle which is is of medieval origin.

Santiago do Cacm - This is a village has a majestic castle of Arab origin, it was completely rebuilt by the Christians in the 12Ith century.

Beside the castle is the São Pedro Chapel, which dates from the 7th century, while the main church dates from the 8th century.

Near Santiago do Cacm one should visit the archeological site of Miróbriga, which was an important urban center in Roman times.

The site contains a hippodrome, houses decorated with mural paintings, an acropolis, a forum and a very rich bathing complex, which is one of the best preserved in the country.

Serpa - Famous for its creamy cheeses, Serpa is a sleepy agricultural hilltop town of white houses. The town itself, which is walled, was founded in 400 BC by the Turdelos, one of the original peoples of Iberia. Known to the Romans by the same name, Serpa was later conquered by Geraldo Sempavor in 1166, taken again by the Moors and finally regained in 1232. Visitors to Serpa are sometimes serenaded by the town's traditional singers, who are genuine descendants of medieval troubadours.

What to see: The convent church of Santo António has a small cloister and flamboyant 18th century azulejo glazed tile panels depicting the life of St Francis. Of Moorish origin, Serpa's castle was rebuilt by King Dinis in the late 13th century, but badly damaged during the Spanish invasion in 1707.

Torrão - Located at one tip of the Vale de Gaio dam, this tiny town has bleached white houses with enormous chimneys to characterise its streets. The matrix church boasts a lovely Manueline portico and, inside, still has Spanish-Arabian tiles in the lateral chapels.

Of what remains of the convent, there is still the belvedere where nuns could look out over the fields of sunflowers that both then and now surround this charming place.

Vila Viãosa - Dukes Palace, with Renaissance facade and Museum-Library. Other places of interest: Castle (13th-14th cent., with St. Maria Church); St. Agostinho Church (13th-18th cent.); Chagas de Cristo Convent (Pousada); Nossa Senhora da Esperanãa Monastery; Castelo Novo (Renaissance).

Alentejo's Regional Gastronomy

General Info

Electric current
220V, frequency 50 Hertz. Current sockets according to European standards. Blade plugs require a transformer for 220 volts and adapter plug. You come from the UK/USA don't forget to bring an adapter.

Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink throughout the country, but it is cheap to buy some of the delicious bottled water available.

At bus and taxi stops
There are always orderly lines at bus and taxi stops. Be certain to respect them.

Post Offices
("Correio") are mostly open from 8.00 - 12.30 and 14.30 - 18.00, Monday to Friday.

Main post offices are open lunchtime and Saturday morning.

Tourism Offices
You can find Tourism Offices throughout Portugal.
Look for the signpost "Turismo"

Dial 800 296 296 for informations (English, Spanish, French)

Telephone
You can dial any international number from ANY phone booth in Portugal. , You can buy phone international cards almost anywhere and some boots take bank cards.
If you wish so you can phone from a post office ("Correios"). You'll be allocated a both. Make your call and return to the counter to pay.

International calls to Portugal
+(351) and phone number (the area code is part of the phone number)

Emergency
Dial 112 throughout the country.