Text and photos by Mary L. Peachin
Vol. 13. No. 5
Flocks of pink flamingos stood one-legged in marshes. Fields of cork trees, their bark stripped and dated, were surrounded by grazing livestock. Storks nested on constructed platforms of power line towers. Lush green fields were covered by spring flowers, a rainbow of purple, yellow and white blooms accented with brilliant red poppies. These were “the colors of Portugal’s Alentejo.”
Arraiolos, at the base of Alentejo’s Serro de São Mamede’s foothills, was the gateway of our week long Easy Rider bicycle tour. Tour leaders, Gonzalo Ramalho and Vitor Pinho, had met us at the Lisbon airport for the hour shuttle to Portugal’s wine region, an area which borders Spain.
Each day our ride departed from one of Portugal’s 15th or 16th century pousadas. These government-owned historic convents or monasteries are similar to the well known paradores of Spain. All were restored and renovated with modern conveniences.
Pousada Nossa Senhora da Assuncã, a 16th century monastery in the hilltop fortress of Aarraiolos, was our introduction to these amazing pousadas. Starting at Graca do Devor’s abandoned train station, the tracks had been converted to a hard pack trail. Poppies and other wild flowers edged the flat trail. This easy six mile ride allowed us to get familiar with our bikes.
Alpendre restaurant provided our first taste of typical Portuguese food. Sharing tapas, appetizers included rabbit, pork, cuttlefish, fava beans, and quail eggs. Beef tenderloin was served with migas, a bread-like dish seasoned with cilantro, garlic, and olive oil. It looked similar to mashed potatoes.
Heading out our first day, we peddled forty miles (66 km)to Évora. Riding pass cork groves and the Cave of Escoural, we passed Zambujeiro, one of several Stonehedge-type rock dolmen. Évora, one of the oldest towns on the Iberian peninsula, is now a Unesco world heritage site. In 1186, Geraldo the Fearless’ Christian forces captured the city from the Moors. Dom Alfonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal, later ruled from the city.
After a morning of riding, we stopped at a local cafe in Largo Pedro Coelho or Peter Rabbit square. The time was serendipitous. Just as we sat down, rain started pouring. Shortly the support van, filled with drenched riders, picked us up for a dry lift back to Évora.
Here, the beautifully renovated rooms of Pousada dos Lóios, adjacent to the cathedral, had rooms called “cells,” some so small they felt like cells. Passing the cathedral, we walked cobblestone streets to Luar de Janeiro restaurant. Following tapas, we enjoyed Portuguese-type paella called cherne grelhado with arroz de coentros and amêijoas or grouper with rice, shrimp and clams plus lombinhos de porto preto or tenderloin of pork loin.
Entering the Redondo wine region, acres of land, now planted with wheat and corn, were being cultivated for new vineyards. Red poppies and yellow, white, and purple spring flowers covered barren fields. Not far from the village of Redondo, we toured the Roquevale winery. Marble quarries dotted a landscape of olive trees.
In the village of Vila Viçosa we spent two nights at Pousada Dom Joáo IV. The extra day allowed a thirty two mile (51 km) loop ride to Juromenha, a village lying below the ruins of Dom Dinis castle.
The palace of the Duke of Braganca was adjacent to our pousada. Built in 1501, its many rooms were designed with paintings of royalty and historic scenes, large fireplaces, and heavy crystal chandeliers. The family’s possessions were left in place in the living quarters. Kitchen walls were covered with copper utensils, with more shiny pots and cauldrons scattered around the floor.
Bicycling through Estremoz, not far from Spain’s border, we stopped at a small farmers market before arriving in the villages of Sousel and Fronteira, where we stopped for a cafe lunch. As the elevation rose, thick yellow-flowering Scottish broom covered the hills. Anta do Tapadão, another dolmen, rested in a cow pasture.
Coudelaria de Altar, a Lusitania stud farm maintains three hundred horses. In addition to protecting the breed, they offer dressage and riding lessons. The facility has a fascinating equine museum. Picnicking in a nearby meadow, we fled into the warmth of our Ford van as clouds burst.
Just beyond the village, Cabeço de Vide, we arrived at Pousada Flor da Rosa. The 1356 fortified monastery sits on a hilltop overlooking Spain. It would be our home for the next two nights.
Rain mixed with sleet drenched us as we ascended the hills leading up to the walled city of Marvâo. We briefly escaped the harsh weather by seeking refuge at Pastelaria Sol Nascente in Castelo de Vide. Lunch was a flavorful carne de ponco Alentejo, a combination of pork, clams, potatoes with lots of garlic. Between downpours, we visited Ponte Quinhentista, a 1st century Roman-built bridge that was used by 30,000 Jews to flee the 16th century Spanish Inquisition. In the village, we visited the Juderia or synagogue and the Castelo de Vide castle. The walled city of Marváo overlooks Castelo de Vide’s valley to Spain’s horizon. Marváo’s narrow cobblestone streets were barely passable for a small car much less our van pulling the bikes. Our final evening in Pousada de Santa María was an early night. We had a six thirty am transfer back to Lisbon.
In spite of inclement weather, our bicycle tour through the Alentejo’s pastureland, cork and olive groves, medieval roads and dolmen, interesting food and friendly people gave us a taste of Portugal’s less visited region.