Gandum Village is a rural hotel in Montemor-o-Novo, Alentejo, surrounded by nature and dedicated to sustainability. With a focus on comfort and local heritage, it offers a Mediterranean garden, coworking spaces, and eco-friendly experiences. The on-site restaurant, Provenance, highlights regional ingredients and regenerative practices. Ideal for families, groups, or remote workers, Gandum Village provides an immersive experience blending relaxation, work, and environmentally conscious living.

One can truly feel when a project is run by a family that pours all their love and devotion into it. Nestled in the picturesque Alentejo region of Portugal, AMARIA is a serene, off-grid retreat that blends eco-conscious living with minimalist luxury. Surrounded by rolling hills, olive trees, and vast open landscapes, this boutique guesthouse offers an intimate escape for those looking to reconnect with nature and find inner peace

My relationship with the region Alentejo goes way back. My father grew up in Aldeia dos Fernandes, a small village next to Almodôvar, Baixa Alentejo. As a child, I got easily bored when visiting my grandparents and family in the summer. It was mostly too hot to be outside and I preferred to play by the beach. Today, I’m thankful for my roots in this rural and quiet region. Adult life gets very busy and daily life seems to be a run on a fast treadmill. Spending some days in Alentejo is the perfect retreat to recharge my batteries.

By now, you should know how much Mike and I love being by the ocean. It’s not necessarily the sunbathing that attracts us but rather the waves, the view to the wide and infinite horizon, simply the force of water. We love all the Portuguese coast from east to west Algarve, from Alentejo up to northern Portugal. But I guess that our absolute favorite place is the Costa Vicentina closely followed by the Alentejo Coast around Melides and Comporta.

Every time we’re in Comporta, we’re amazed about the turquoise water. If you love rather refreshing water (some might say cold), you will love it there too. This July, we spent another day by the Beach of Carvalhal, enjoyed the sun and waves as well as a delicious lunch the the Sublime Comporta Beach Club.

I love to travel to quiet places and to connect with nature with my husband. However, I also have this strong desire of being by myself in silence. I need it to really reconnect with myself and to be able to listen to that little voice inside me. Corona hit us all hard in very different ways. I missed the ocean terribly and I missed having room for myself. On a rather short notice, I decided to visit my parents for 10 days and to take out three days only for and with myself.

The more I get to photograph projects by Portuguese architects, the more I start to appreciate good design and notice things that would escape my eye before. I don’t have any formation in architecture, so I get to appreciate and experience projects the same way end consumer does. More recently I started to notice how thoughtfully and tastefully the Portuguese use natural stone in building their cities.

Over 3.5 years ago we discovered Villa Extramuros for the first time. We actually arrived there and were convinced that we had the wrong address. The modern building with a clear Portuguese handwriting was impressing, the surroundings beautiful and when we took a glimpse at the interior through the window, we almost couldn't believe that this was the place we booked.

L´AND Vineyards is nestled on a stunning estate, surrounded by undulating hills, vineyards, cork trees and meandering pines. Located just outside of the picturesque village of Montemor-o-Novo, 1 hour from the Lisbon airport and 30 minutes from beautiful Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, more than a hotel, L´AND is anexclusive retreat.

Monte do Freixo Poente is a beautiful place to stay at if you like that quiet little gem on the countryside. It invites you to discover the region of Alentejo in a slower paste.

Spending some wintertime in Portugal is always a good idea. Even when the Portuguese say that it’s bad weather, for us living up north, it still feels like spring. On one of the last days of December 2019 we left sunny Algarve and drove up the IC27 to Arraiolos, Alentejo. Actually, we never drove up this way and were amazed by the empty street, the calmness and beauty of the Natural Park of Guadiana. This route is a great alternative to the highway A2 and you save a lot of money on highway tolls.

Herdade do Esporão is a very impressive property. You drive through the vineyards until arriving to the reception of the wine tourism and the restaurant. Our guide gave us an introduction about the history of Esporão and then we visited the wine production and the cellars. Afterwards we had the chance to taste three wines and their olive oils with a very tasty bread. We enjoyed the experience but it would have been great to have a bit more time to taste more than three wines.

The peaceful town Marvão is situated on the highest crest of the Serra de São Mamede between Castelo de Vide and Portalegre, and only a few kilometers from Spain. We drove there from Villa Extramuros and it took us about 1h and 20 minutes. We first thought of doing a hike from Casteli de Vide to Marvão but unfortunately, we were on a very tight schedule. But friends of ours to recommend it if you love hiking.

This year, I took some days off just for myself: I was looking for some quality me-time and tranquility. I knew from the beginning that I would find that at Costa Vicentina in Alentejo. I stumbled over Cabeça Da Cabra on Instagram ( thank you Filipe Lucas Frazão) and booked two nights. I absolutely enjoyed every second at this quiet place near Porto Covo, Alentejo.

Before São Lourenço do Barrocal was what we see and experience today, it already belonged to the family of José António Uva, and it was where he spent most of his childhood. When it became clear to him that he had to keep his family’s history and the estate’s ancient heritage, the rejuvenation project began, headed by renowned Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura — who won the Golden Lion at the Venice Architecture Biennale thanks to this massive venture that took 12 years to complete.

Let me tell you, when you enter Villa Extramuros, you feel like being part of a shooting for a fancy interior design magazine. The owners, François and Jean-Christophe, did an amazing job. The architecture is a mix of concrete, marble, glass and cork. And the interior decoration blends a warm collection of vintage furniture and art of the 1950’s to the 1990’s, with pieces of local handicraft.

Casa No Tempo has been in the family for many years. It was the makers' granddad’s will that they look after it until the next generation. Being aware of his vision they tried to aim higher, connecting the past with the coming future, leaving out the marks of time, in search for a peaceful and timeless place. The renovation was carried out under the orientation of our their friend, the architect Manuel Aires Mateus.

Cabanas No Rio is 1 hour south from Lisbon in the village of Comporta ‐ Portugal. This region is cherished by the natural reserve of river Sado. It is a true natural paradise that has to offer its visitors beautiful white sandy beaches, the green immensity of the rice fields, the typical fishermen’s houses, the unique food and wine and the privileged contact with a diversity of animals that choose to live here.

Casas Na Areia is located 1 hour south from Lisbon, in Comporta - Portugal. This region is known for the magnificent white sandy beaches, the wine, fresh fish, the rice paddies and the pine trees. It's integrated on the natural reserve of river Sado, home to a great variety of wild life such as flamingos, storks and dolphins. It's one of the best places in Portugal for bird watching. You can easily see up to 100 different species in just 1 day.

A Hotel that you could also call a guesthouse, over which a wonderful serenity hangs. An almost unreal and utopian place of authentic and personalized luxury where one can experience time and space.

Another lovely place has open its doors for Portugal travel lovers. Welcome to O Lugar in Porto Covo! This is by far more than a bed & breakfast. The interior design concept is by Arkstudio (also Casa C'alma). Once again, Arkstudio did an astonishing work combining modern, Scandinavian design with Portuguese style elements. And it's just at the Coast Vicentina. Some of you might know that I love to hike there (Fishermen's Trail is my favorite). Congratulations to the whole O Lugar team and all the best!