Mértola:

Only 30 mins drive. A beautiful small town with a castle on top, a church that was built originally as a mosque and many cafés inviting you to sample a galão and a queijada alentejana. On every corner you will find little shops with local products, too.

There are several museums reflecting the (moorish) past of the town and region, and you also find a tourism office providing information about cultural activities. But you can also just enjoy yourself in the park or on the beach by the river...

Islamic festival:

The event of the region, a biannual festival taking place in Mértola at the end of May, the next due in 2024. It includes concerts with North African artists as well as Portuguese and a magnificent Souk, peopled with market traders from both continents, reanimating the old town between castle and clock tower.

Pulo de Lubo:

A waterfall of the region's biggest river, the Guadiana, set in a dramatic and wild landscape of water sculpted rocks. On the way there you'll pass a queijaria where the local farmers have the milk of their sheep transformed into the famous cheese typical of Serpa's surroundings.

Tradional Cuisine:

Alentejo has one of the most interesting styles of cooking in Portugal, unfortunately for meat eaters only, as porco preto (black pig, characteristic for the region) is the specialty of many dishes. Vegetarians might prefer to eat with us or have a take away meal from the island.

If you want to try it anyway, you can go for a Sopa Alentejana (soup from cilantro with garlic and stale bread) - it has egg on top, but you can ask without egg, or Açorda Simples (bread with garlic and cilantro - there are also more "complete" Açordas that have meat or sea food, so try to explain what you want.). If you eat fish maybe you are lucky and can find Sopa de Cação (Fish soup), or a Açorda de Marisco (bread with sea food).

The closest restaurant you'll find in the nearby village, only 3 minutes by car.