This Pousada near
the beautiful, almost deserted, Atlantic beaches of the Alentejo coast in Southern Portugal.
The Pousada is located on a
beautiful Alentejo country estate nine kilometres outside the town of Santiago
do Cacem.
It is attractively laid out
with terraced gardens, a rustling stream, pool, shady nooks for sitting
and even a small private chapel.
This typical farm is surrounded
by the Alentejan plains yet only 20 kilometres from marine lagoons and
the dramatic Atlantic coastline of the Costa Dourada.
The town of Santiago do Cacem
is overlooked by its Castle, built by the Knights Templar, with views across
to the Atlantic Ocean which are not to be missed.
A walk through the municipal
gardens will bring you to the museum housed in the old prison. The archaeological
section contains exhibits from the nearby Roman site of Mirobriga,
2 kilometres out of town.
Blow away the cobwebs with
a 15 km trip to the Costa Dourada beaches. Here you can stroll along the
vast stretches of sandy beach overlooked by majestic cliffs and watch the
Atlantic waves rush to the shore.
Separated from the ocean
are two lagoons, de Melides and de Santo Andre, where flocks of water birds
enjoy the calm waters and abundant food.
Further afield (approx. 50
kms) but worth a visit is Alcacer do Sal (Castle of Salt). The town is
on the River Sado, it was originally occupied by the Phoenicians and later
became an important settlement under the Moors.
As its name suggests it was
an important salt producing area, and many of the salt pans can still be
seen along the river bank.
The marshes at the river
edge have been reclaimed and are now one of the most productive rice producing
areas in Portugal. The country is the biggest rice producer in Europe,
and the town is surrounded by verdant paddy fields.
Due to its former prosperity
it has some fine buildings of note, including the ruins of a Moorish castle
keeping watch over the town.
The municipal museum stands
amid a row of white buildings bordering the river and has an interesting
collection of Stone Age, Roman and Moorish artefacts.
Churches worth visiting include
Igreja de Santa Maria dating from the 12th Century which has some wonderful
painted tiles.
The Convento of Santo Antonio
has a fine Renaissance doorway and beautiful marble decoration. The 13th
Century church of Senhor dos Martires is of particular importance to the
towns people. It houses the tomb of Diogo de Pereira who freed the town
of Moorish occupation in the 13th Century.
The Pousada do Santiago do
Cacem is a peaceful haven and is the ideal location to recharge your batteries.
It has 10 standard bedrooms and 6 superior rooms, all with ensuite bathroom, hair dryer, bathing gowns, air conditioning, Cable television, telephone and minibar.
For those wanting absolute
solitude there is also a small two bedroomed cottage in the grounds.
Facilities at the Pousada
include restaurant, bar, terrace, parking and, a swimming pool
which used to be a private irrigation reservoir.
Dining in Portugal is usually
very good. The restaurants of the Pousada group hotels offer a variety
of dishes including a selection of local and regional specialities.
Activities available nearby
include shooting, fishing, cycling tours, windsurfing, golf, cruises, four-wheel
driving, paintball, bird watching, carriage tours and donkey cart
tours.
The international airport
at Lisbon (Lisboa) is approximately 142 kilometers from this Pousada of
Portugal.
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