August 11th, 2009
Portugal and Alentejo – my first impressions.
I am definitely no writer. Marketing and outdoor stuff is more my bag but Miguel at Alentejo Adventures asked me to write something for the new blog on the new website. So I’ll keep it short, wish me luck and here goes.
Never been to Portugal or even heard of Alentejo before. We run a small marketing agency that focuses on digital and tourism projects. Peter was chasing us for almost a year regarding an activity holidays business he was running in Alentejo, alongside a pretty major farming business. Too busy on other things it took us a while to take up the opportunity to go out and visit. His perseverance is gratefully accepted!
We met the team in Vila Nova de Milfontes on a sunny day in early March. Fresh breeze blowing maybe but it felt positively balmy to us. Immediately the place felt like one of those step-off-and-catch-a-breath type places. You know, the sort of thing you yearn for when you are bouncing from one meeting to the next and not quite keeping up. After a nice lunch with the team Miguel took us on a five hour whistle stop tour of the area in the Landrover. Bumpy at times, it was exactly what we needed to get to grips with what the place has to offer – stunning rural and coastal landscapes provide the back drop for watching life in Alentejo happen, be it a tad more slowly than it does in the UK. The list of interesting places we visited is long but one of the places we stopped to take a rest was Porto Covo and when we were shown around Herdade da Matinha, used on the charming hotels walking tour, I reminded myself this is a place I must come back to with my wife and spend some step-off-and-catch–up time. We hooked up with the team for dinner at Tres Marias, one of the places you stop at on the charming hotels cycling tour, to talk more over dinner. Our host proved that he was more than well practiced at being both a great host and an equally talented cook.
On our second day we did a proper days work (an office, spread sheet, white boards and flip charts type day) but not before a nice breakfast in Vila Nova de Milfontes. It’s really nice spending time in a real town and although popular as a tourism destination for the Portuguese you are probably not going to meet too many people from your own neck of the woods. Dinner at Tasca do Celso just helped confirm that the local food and the welcome is extra special in every way. Even if you are visiting somewhere to do active stuff the place is important and that inevitably means the food and the people. I can’t imagine you will be disappointed.
We’ve been back again since – business not pleasure so far. Having said that, a stroll on the beach and dinner at Choupana is not a bad place to finish the day. I have made myself a promise – when I next go back I will spend a bit more time doing stuff, if not taking a proper walking holiday and really getting to know Alentejo. I’m also keen to do some mountain biking – not only does the coast provide some fantastic trails to ride but the local club organise events and rides – and they welcome visitors to join in. What’s more it does not have to be all action – these guys will tailor something to suit you and it might be that one of their relaxing activity breaks is more your bag.
So what was my single overriding first impression? It’s got to be the people, their passion for the place and the warm welcome they give. Don’t take my word for it, take a look at the reviews. You get the feeling that the team at Alentejo Adventures are doing this for all the right reasons and they enjoy and value your holidays as much as you do. Hopefully they will let me write something again but next time it will be a bit more about the holidays I have spent in this wonderful area – the ‘bread basket’ of Portugal.
Jon Munro