About an hour drive from the hotel! This area has been occupied since prehistoric times, and the rocky outcrop that is the site of the present-day castle is considered to be one of the oldest settlements in southern Portugal. The plains surrounding the village are also home to hundreds of megalithic monuments dating back to between 4,500 and 2000 BC. If you are into really old stuff, then this is the place for you. The Alentejo region is famous for its bread and olive oil, and much of the local cuisine is based on these two staples. The views from the town are spectacular in all directions, and you can clearly see Spain across the sky-blue waters of the Alqueva Lake.
Together with Marvão and the Spanish town of Valencia de Alcântara, this triangle boasts one of the most concentrated areas of megalithic sites in all of Europe and there are more than 200 monuments within a 25km radius, from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. Rated as one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Portugal, Castelo de Vide also boasts the oldest synagogue in the country, dating back to the middle of the 15th century and located in the Jewish quarter. This pretty little town with her winding cobblestone roads and panoramic vistas marks the northern-most point on this tour of Alentejo border towns.
2.5 hours from the venue and west of Lisbon, Sintra is famous for its royal residences. Sintra is a pioneer work of European romanticism, bringing together its incredible botanical richness and a diversity of monuments and buildings from a long period of history.