Today we get to visit the Alentejo region, known as the Tuscany of Portugal. Welcome to Évora, a UNESCO-listed beauty wrapped in medieval walls. We’ll wander the whitewashed lanes to the wonderfully eerie Capela dos Ossos, the Chapel of Bones (yes, it’s made with real bones, and yes, it’s fascinating). From there, a quick stroll lands us at the Roman Temple, where columns have been sunbathing since the 1st century.

Next up: the Cathedral of Évora.  We’ll pop inside and, if you’re up for it, climb to the rooftop for jaw-dropping views over tiled roofs and rolling countryside. Then we’ll drift toward Praça do Giraldo for lunch. Lunch is all about hearty local flavors: think migas à alentejana (rustic bread-and-garlic goodness, often served with pork), porco preto (black Iberian pig), açorda, or a simple grilled fish, followed by a convent sweet like sericaia (soft egg pudding). Simple, local, delicious.

In the afternoon we’ll go for a walk at Aqueduto da Água de Prata, followed by an Alentejo wine tasting. Remember, this is the Tuscany of Portugal; of course they have their own wine!

We’ll finish the day at Almendres Cromlech, Portugal’s largest megalithic site, before heading back to Lisbon in the evening, happy and full of Alentejo stories.

OVERNIGHT: EXE Saldanha or similar

MEALS: Breakfast