olives and whitewashed villages

Portel, Portugal - Region of Alentejo

Alentejo is full of whitewashed villages with olive trees dotting the countryside.  This picture has been taken from the castle wall which saw its first stone placed in the 13th century.

Monte alentejano

Evoramonte, Portugal - Region of Alentejo

Set among cork-oak plantations and olive groves are the montes alentejanos, a term which refers to the house and other buildings on an extensive piece of rural property.  This is a common sight to see when traveling throughout the region of Alentejo.

This picture is taken from the top of the castle of Evoramonte.  All that can be seen is a carpet of green for miles and miles, something I never get tired of seeing!

Vineyards and Olive Groves

Estremoz, Portugal - Region of Alentejo

Vineyards and olive groves are spotted throughout the countryside of Alentejo, a region which covers more than a third of Portugal, but only accounts for about 7% of its population.  Important activities in this region include marble, cork, olive oil and mining as well as cheese, wine, ham and sausage production.

Monsaraz from a distance

Monsaraz, Portugal - Region of Alentejo

Set on top of a hill at almost 200 meters is the walled in city of Monsaraz.  Olive groves, vineyards and cork-oak trees cover much of the Alentejo countryside, home of the world's most important area for growing cork.  The name Alentejo originates from Além-Tejo, which means "Beyond the Tagus River", separating the region from the rest of Portugal to the north and the Algarve region to the south.