10 Things to do Good for a Rainy Day in Alentejo That You Shouldn't Miss

Located in the village of Arraiolos, one hour away from Lisbon, Monte da Ravasqueira has maintained a three-generation link to the Jose de Mello family since 1943. The vast area of typical Alentejo landscape and the unique geological and climatic conditions found here led Jose Manuel de Mello to believe that Monte da Ravasqueira had everything to be a producer of high-quality wines. Today, Monte da Ravasqueira extends over approximately 3,000 hectares, 45 of which are dedicated to vineyards. In keeping with the quality and character of its wines, blending tradition, innovation, and dedication to the art and science of winemaking. Monte da Ravasqueira also develops other activities related to cork, cattle, fattening of the Alentejo black pig, as well as the production of honey and olive oil, besides the wine tourism activities such as especially designed wine tasting, courses, and visits.

Casa Relvas is a family owned company. Our winery is located in S. Miguel de Machede, a small village close to Évora. We produce today more than 6 million bottles per year and manage over 300 ha of vineyards. Our best knowned wines are Herdade S. Miguel and Herdade da Pimenta, named after our two Estates, but our wines Art.Terra, Ciconia, Montinho, Monte dos Amigos, Segredos and Merino are also famous both inland and abroad. Our wines are recognized not only for their excellent value for money but also for being some of the best internationally rated wines of the region. Our Wine Tourism Programms celebrate the passion for wines and share with total transparency our means of production. Come and visit us, where time slows down! We have also a nice place for camping. If you are traveling Alentejo, make sure you stop by our winery: besides the wine experience we provide a nice spot for camping in the vineyards, with water access. Check #CasaRelvasSecretSpots!

The Sharish Gin Interpretive Center is a space where visitors have the opportunity to tour the Sharish distillery in a guided way and have contact through sensory experiences with the Gin world in general and the Sharish Gin identity in particular. We have experiences with commented tasting of gins and gin workshops, multimedia content and virtual reality, as well as shop and bar of gins. Free guided tours at 11am and 3:30pm

The walls and pillars of the chapel, built in the century XVII, are lined with thousands of human bones and skulls. Ceilings with murals realtivas death. Written on a plaque next to the door, the phrase "We bones that are here for your hope", reminds us how fleeting passage through life.

Designed in accordance with the traditional architecture of the Alentejo region, this winery has put Estremoz on the map of the great wine regions, welcoming visitors from all over the world. The purpose is to discover the achievements of Joao Portugal Ramos, but on the way also discover the reasons for his passion for the Alentejo. A tour or a lunch offers the time and tranquility that are perfect for enjoying our wines and the local cuisine. With a shop, tasting room, lecture room, meeting room and dining room , Vila Santa offers a welcome to those wanting to discover, taste and take home wines that will leave a perfect memory of this region. Our five senses all come into play when we travel. Food and drink is part of many people’s tourist experience and the best way to truly grasp the terroir of a wine is to visit where it’s made. Vila Santa tour offers you a visit to the vineyards, the winery, and cellars, where the vinification process is explained to the visitors. You have the opportunity to choose between a wine tasting accompanied by regional cheeses and a selection of different appetizers according to the seasons products or a typical Alentejo lunch , “be a winemaker for a day” or take a cooking class, where culture, tradition and the character of our wines come in complete harmony, promising a unique and unforgettable experience . During harvest time it’s also possible to take part in grape picking and foot-trodding in old marble "lagares" (stone troughs).

The Duke of Cadaval Palace Church, called Saint John the Evangelist, is considerd to be one of the most beautifull private churches in Portugal. The Saint John the Evangelist Church was founded in 1485. You enter by a Gothic porch of the fifteenth century along with a tombstone-shaped canopy, with the inscription of its foundation and with the coat of arms of its founder, D. Rodrigo de Melo, 1st Earl of Olivenza. The nave has Gothic ribs and is covered with abeautiful and excepcional collection of tiles, by the painter Antonio de Oliveira, dated 1711 and signed by the author. On the floor of the church can see the tombs of the Dukes of Cadaval and their ancestors. At the center of the church you can admire two of the many curiosities of this church, a crypt with the bones of the monks of the convent of Lóios and an Arabic cistern - the church was built on the ruins of an Arab castle, destroyed during the riots in favor of the Master Avis in 1384. The wall of nave has a tribune of the seventeenth century, beautiful example of architecture of this century, built by the 1st Duke of Cadaval, Dom Nuno Alvares Pereira de Melo.The spectacular main altar is in the Mannerist style, transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque. The images represent St. John the Evangelist. The walls are covered with polychrome tiles of the seventeenth century. The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament has a golden altar of the eighteenth century with a renaissance of the sixteenth century tomb, belonging to Don Francisco de Melo, adviser to John III. The construction of this tomb is attributed to the French architect Nicholas Chanterene. On the other wall of this chapel is the tomb of Manuel de Melo, Governor of Tanger.

Roman-Gothic 12th century cathedral. Guard a valuable treasure. Spectacular visit the cloisters of the cathedral and coverage, with magnificent views of the historic center. Is part of the monumental complex as a Unesco World Heritage