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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.