Arraiolos, with its castle towering over the Alentejo plain, is the town's best-known monument and one of the only circular castles in the world. Standing tall above the whitewashed houses, the castle is located at an altitude of over 410 metres and contains the Igreja Matriz do Salvador, a monument that predates the castle itself, with an interior decorated with frescoes.

The most famous product of Arraiolos is its centuries-old rugs, hand-embroidered by generations of embroiderers, whom we can observe at work. After this visit, we went up to Avis, which preserves the memory of the ancient and important Military Order of Avis, founded by Fernando Anes, Master of the Friars of Évora, after the donation of the land conquered from the Moors in 1211 by King Afonso II. This donation to Fernando Anes was made with the purpose of populating the area and building the castle, which was done between 1214 and 1223.

The Alter Stud Farm was established as part of a new stud farm policy initiated in 1708 by King John V, in response to the prevailing fashion in Europe.

After visiting the Stud Farm and Alter do Chão, we head towards Estremoz, known as the ‘white city’ due not only to the colour of its houses, but also to its deposits of white marble, the famous ‘Estremoz marble’, which has made the city internationally renowned. The extraction of this raw material in the Alentejo region makes Portugal the second largest exporter in the world, with Estremoz contributing around 90% of the total marble production.

In addition to marble, this city is also known for the wines and olive oils produced in the region.
The Estremoz region has been inhabited since Neolithic times and has been the scene of major historical events. Transformed into a ‘war zone’, countless battles of great importance to Portugal and our history took place here. Two were decisive for Portugal's independence: the Battle of Ameixial and the Battle of Montes Claros.