Walk and Cook

The Natural Park of Serra de Aires and Candeeiros has a very special landscape. As you walk you discover man made rock walls marking the trails and proprieties and barren landscape dotted here and there by boulders, fissures and slopes. Underground there is a rich network of caves and galleries that extend beyond your imagination. There is a rich and varied range of animal life, including 18 species of bats (the symbol of the Park) that find ideal shelter in the various grottoes. In a deep valley the small village of Alvados is hidden. There our hotel comes as a surprise. Enjoy the architecture with modern lines but fully respecting local trends and materials. This area is ideal for Portugal Hiking Tours.

Walk and Cook and relax at this charming place.
At arranged time – Transfer to Alvados included in guided tours only
5.00 pm or other arranged time – Briefing at airport or at the hotel
7.30 pm – Dinner at hotel

• Location: Alvados
• Distance: 0 km’s
• Difficulty:N.A.
• Dinner: Guided S. Guided
•  Transfer Lisbon- Alvados: Guided
• Accommodation and breakfast at Cooking and Nature Emotional Hotel.

This walking tour will take you first to the crook of Fornea, where you can admire the magnificent natural amphitheater, which in the rainy months has a beautiful waterfall. You will walk on the “fossil trail”, where you can easily identify ammonites (Ammonoidea – extinct group of marine mollusk animals) with dimensions over 10cm. When you reach the top of the Fornea you find the perfect place to relax. The amphitheater has about 500 mts of diameter and 250 meters in height! The section along the upper balcony of the slope is rewarding for the scenic views over the Valley of Alvados.

5.30 pm – Massage (included on guided tours only)
7.00 pm – Cooking class at hotel – In the end of the day we invite you to meet the Chef in the kitchen and make your own dinner, which we hope it’s Yummy!!!

• Location: Alvados
• Distance: 14 km’s/8 miles
• Difficulty:Medium
• Ascents:438m/1437ft
• Picnic : Guided S. Guided
• Cooking Class: Guided S. Guided
• Accommodation and breakfast at Cooking and Nature Emotional Hotel.

This is one of the Serra de Aire and Candeeiros Natural Park official Portugal Hiking tours. Alvados village is situated in a depression almost 300 meters deep, originated by tectonic movements. It is surrounded by two plateaus. The Castelejo Pedestrian Trail runs through the northern part of the Santo António Plateau, being a zone of great natural interest, for the variety of vegetal cover and for the different geomorphological aspects that it presents. Trail goes over the Castelejo slope and it is steep in parts. You will have views over the agriculture fields of Alvados, with a lot of olive trees, and cows will be staring at you over the rock walls! In the 50s about 200.000 liters of olive oil were produced here! If you get lucky you may spot some falcons. You will also pass an oak forest (Quercus fagineas).

5.00pm – Bath on special SPA from hotel
7.00 pm – Cooking Class at the hotel

• Location: Alvados
• Distance: 13 km’s/8 miles
• Difficulty:Medium
• Ascents:420m/1377ft
• Picnic : Guided S. Guided
• Cooking Class: Guided S. Guided
• Accommodation and breakfast at Cooking and Nature Emotional Hotel.

We recommend you start early today because you have a lot to do! You will climb by a beautiful track to the caves of Santo António, where you should do a guided visit that takes about 1 hour.
In 1955 two men working at a place called Pedra do Altar went through an opening in the rock as they were trying to catch a bird. Inside they discovered a gallery of Santo António caves, formed more than 150 million years before, in the Middle Jurassic age, when the dinosaurs populated this region. Their footprints can be seen here today. You enter the cave at the altitude of 530 meters, and the depth inside reaches 40m! The caves occupy a huge area of 6,000 square meters, adorned with stalagmites and stalactites.
From here you will be taken by car to the village of Batalha where you may have lunch (not included) and visit the impressive Monastery of Batalha.
The monastery took over a century to build, starting in 1386 and ending around the 1517, spanning the reign of seven kings! It was built to fulfil a vow from King João to commemorate the victory over the Castilians at Aljubarrota (15 August 1385). It is one of the masterpieces of Gothic art, mingled with Manueline style.
Transfer to Évora at 4 pm.

• Location: Alvados
• Distance: 8 km’s/4 miles
• Difficulty:Medium
• Ascents:419m/1374ft
• Dinner: Guided S. Guided
• Tranfer: to Batalha and to Évora
• Tickets: Guided Tour-2
• Accommodation and breakfast at Monte do Serrado de Baixo.

Today we follow along the lovely river Degebe.  We discover old water mills and try to imagine how they worked. Then we leave the river side and start walking up to conquer wonderful views. Finally a castle starts to take shape in the horizon. It is the surreal castle of Valongo, built in the middle of nowhere by, some say, the Romans. We believe them. In the guided tour we explain why.

7.00 pm – Meeting with one of our staff for a cooking class on homemade Alentejo food. The idea here is different, there is no Chef. It’s us. Be very welcome!

You may change this route to the Megalithic route if you prefer. Just check the trekking tour description and let us know when you book.

• Location: Évora
• Distance: 12 km’s/7 miles
• Difficulty:Easy+
• Ascents:143m/472ft
• Picnic : Guided S.Guided
• Cooking Class : Guided S.Guided
• Tranfer: Back to Farm
• Accommodation and breakfast at Monte do Serrado de Baixo.

Leaving the guesthouse towards the 16th century aqueduct, built to solve the water shortages in the city, this walk will lead to the Ancient city of Évora, classified by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. Along the way the small farms and aromatic herbs that grow by the aqueduct will keep you company. Arriving to the city we suggest you pass by the market to buy some fresh vegetables to tomorrow’s cooking class. To end the day, after a visit to the most relevant historical sites (Roman temple, Bones’ Chapel and University), there is nothing better than a cool calm drink in Évora center square surrounded by old palaces and feeling the flow of life passing by.

Dinner is not included tonight and we suggest you have an early meal in the end of the day before your transfer back to the farm. A great option that perfectly matches the Walk and Cook theme is to have a bread making activity and have dinner with your own bread! Contact us to book this!

• Location: Évora
• Distance: 15km’s/9miles
• Difficulty:Easy+
• Ascents:228m/748ft
• Tickets: Guided Tour-2
• Tranfer: Back to Farm
• Accommodation and breakfast at Monte do Serrado de Baixo.

The unforgettable village of Monsaraz, built in a castle on top of a hill, is always challenging us to climb there. Schist Rock walls will guide the walk around the beautiful fortification. Here and there some megalithic monuments set in very special scenery. The last climb conquers the castle and its stunning well-kept white village and the views over the Alqueva lake. In season you can even finish with a swim or a canoe trip! On the way back to the farm visit a pottery in São Pedro do Corval.

When you get back we will meet again in the kitchen! Using some of the fresh food you got in the market yesterday, we will cook our dinner together! The last cooking class of the week!

• Location: Monsaraz
• Distance: 12.5km/7miles
• Difficulty:Medium
• Ascents:248m/813ft
• Picnic : Guided S. Guided
• Cooking Class : Guided S. Guided
• Tranfer:From/ Back to Farm
• Accommodation and breakfast at Monte do Serrado de Baixo.

There are several possibilities for this day

OPTION 1 – adding a couple of nights in Redondo, in the Convent of São Paulo, a gorgeous convent restored as an hotel, in a beautiful mountain area. 2 walking trails available.
OPTION 2 – for a more dramatic change of scenery, adding 2 to 4 nights in the Natural Park of the south west coast and Vicentina Coast. Continue walking with our tour Wild Southwest Coast walking trip
OPTION 3 – 🙁 Check out

Transfer to Lisbon airport or to Évora

This is only one of our walking tours in Portugal, explore our website for more options! We offer trekking tours inland near Évora, near Lisbon and in the southwest coast.

• Location: Monsaraz
• Transfer to Lisbon: Guided
• Transfer to Évora:From/ S. Guided