Beja district is the least touristy of the wide area called “Planícies (plains) that covers the southern half of Portugal, excluding Algarve.

However, a few places do deserve the visit, and allow excellent brakes in the trip between Lisbon and Algarve.

My preferences:

** Very interesting:
     Mértola
​     Beja

The district’s capital is not only its biggest city, but also an interesting visit.

Slow growth, and careful preservation, help Beja to maintain his traditional look and living rhythms.

​A good stop in the way to or from Algarve.

This is a small town where millions of people use to pass in the way to Algarve, but rarely stopping.

For decades I was one of them, until this year – I needed ti have lunch in the área, and made my first stop.

​Good lunch, the stop in Ferreira may not be the last one.

For decades, Grândola was just a stopping point in the long trip to Algarve, half way from Lisbon and my generally used, central area of Algarve.

The “25th April” made it famous, but didn’t change much.

The A2 highway did really change, turning it in a… skipped point.

​ Resisting to the decrease of population in traditional areas, like in almost all the Alentejo, it is starting to invest in rural tourism.

The best stop in the way to Algarve (excluding Évora, that demands an exclusive trip), Mértola is historically rich, with a good landscape.

​Don’t hesitate including it in your trip.

It’s interesting the trip inland, along the old mining Alentejo.

​S. Domingos was one of the biggest mines, now abandoned, where it is possible and interesting to see the scars in the earth.

A small dam creates an artificial pond, suitable to swim, and in that traditional heat of the area, how pleasant it may become!

The climatic changes are spreading desertification in southern Alentejo. 

​While population slowly abandons the fields concentrating in the cities, the sights of sheep under the cork-trees and dogs patrolling the roads are becoming more rare and concentrated , but still present as a local landmark.