For many, January is the perfect time to join a gym. People are keen to make a fresh start in the new year and up their fitness level, or it could be that you are newly-arrived in Estremoz and are wondering how to continue your regular exercise regime.
This delightful five-bedroom, five-bathroom property is located within the historic walled castle complex of Estremoz, alongside the prestigious 5-star Pousada Estremoz Castle Hotel, the Rainha Santa Isabel tower and the Santa Maria church, offering a great opportunity to own a true piece of Portuguese history.
The Saturday open market in Estremoz was crowded this weekend, with Christmas only a week away. I felt lucky when I managed to find a parking space in the square, and I wandered to the rows of vendors to browse their goods and see the annual Christmas market.
In the municipality of Montemor-o-Novo, the Palaeolithic cave at Escoural is around a 70-kilometre drive from Estremoz. Signposted from Arraiolos, it’s easy to locate and although small, with only one main chamber, it is said to have the oldest cave paintings in the whole of Portugal.
We made the big decision to up sticks and move to Portugal in May 2019 – before Covid, before the war in Ukraine and before Brexit happened! There were both push and pull factors at play, but fundamentally we were not happy with the hedonistic lifestyle in Marbella, had recently started our relationship and therefore a new chapter in our lives, and I had lost one of my best friends who passed far too young. On the pull side, we were on a castle-viewing road-trip around central Portugal in our old ’71 WV bug and were really enjoying the towns, monuments, weather, people, food… So, over a bottle of Estremoz wine, we reached a point of re-evaluation and the thought of spending another 10-15 years working in an office (and garage) lead us both to make a major change.
In Limbo is a new photographic art exhibition being hosted at the Estremoz Municipal Museum during the summer months. Running through August until 10th September, and sponsored by Amnesty International, it showcases a series of photographs by Carmen Serejo, depicting humanitarian displacement and the refugee crisis across the world today, including in Syria, Ukraine, Afganistan and Mexico.
If you have ever wandered around Evora and spotted a rusty metalwork sculpture, chances are it’s a work from the hand of local artist, João Concha.
In 2027, Evora will become the European Capital of Culture and as you wander around its old town you can see just how much the city is preparing for this honour with lots of restoration work going on, and a tangible feeling of excitement in the air. One venue that has already been rehabilitated is the compact Museu da Misericórdia and church in Rua da Misericórdia.
Nowadays, we are all conscious of the harm being done to the environment and the need to change the way we both manufacture and consume. Moving to a more sustainable way of living that is in tune with nature means choosing cleaner, more natural alternatives to plastics—and here in the Alentejo, there is one right under our noses!
We’re always looking for short-drive destinations that are within 100km radius from Estremoz to get away for a few days in our self-built camper—and one of our favourite places to visit is the Rio Tejo (Tagus) that delineates the northern border of the Alentejo region in Portugal. Over the past few years several river beaches (praias fluviais) have been set up along the banks of the river,