Portugal - A Walk To Remember
National Geographic Traveller India|March 2019

Portugal’s craggy, coastal Alentejo region challenges hikers who trade sweat for sunsets

Debashree Majumdar
Portugal - A Walk To Remember

The night still holds its grip over Lisbon at six a.m., as does the biting cold, on an April morning when we walk into the bus depot to catch our ride to Alentejo, a region that extends along southern and southwestern Portugal. My husband and I are focussed on the southwest. Our plan is to walk over three days across deserted trails by the Atlantic and through sparsely populated villages that sit away from the coastline. We board the deluxe bus, and are soon on our way, hearts filling with the thrill of witnessing the slow peeling of a new land, and a new set of people with ways of living so distinct from what I’ve left behind in India, or even the big-city bustle of Lisbon. The bus to Vila Nova Milfontes, three and a half hours from Lisbon, is packed to the brim with hikers and tourists set to celebrate Easter by the ocean. The surprising thing about Lisbon is how quickly one can reach the deep countryside. Within minutes of crossing the Vasco da Gama Bridge—longest in Europe and stretching like a river of concrete and steel over of an estuary of the Tagus river—one enters the sometimes dreamy, sometimes ruinous Alentejo. Alentejo, we learn, translates to ‘the land beyond the Tagus,’ which turns out to be the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula, locally known as Tejo.

The driver and the conductor keep up a constant stream of conversation on the journey and play old Michael Jackson hits on the radio. The sound of Portuguese, mingling with MJ’s quick beats and upbeat lyrics creates an endearing, almost lyrical atmosphere—enough to make me switch off the music playing on my phone. Adjusting to slow-stripping sunlight all around, my eyes briefly register passing villages and swathes of empty land where cork oaks grow in clumps, their cropped crowns swaying in the chilly breeze.

LAND BEYOND THE RIVER

Denne historien er fra March 2019-utgaven av National Geographic Traveller India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra March 2019-utgaven av National Geographic Traveller India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIASe alt
Best Of The World 2023
National Geographic Traveller India

Best Of The World 2023

Travel inspiration is everywhere. The question is where to go next. Here's our annual list of enlightened destinations for the year aheadplaces filled with wonder, rewarding to travellers of all ages, and supportive of local communities and ecosystems. Framed by five categories (Community, Nature, Culture, Family, Adventure), these destinations are under the radar, ahead of the curve, and ready for you to start exploring.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November - December 2022
Α ΗΟΜΕ IN THE HILLS
National Geographic Traveller India

Α ΗΟΜΕ IN THE HILLS

Skyview by Empyrean is a onestop destination for adventure and leisure in Jammu

time-read
3 mins  |
November - December 2022
ENTER THE PICTURE POSTCARD
National Geographic Traveller India

ENTER THE PICTURE POSTCARD

A stylish luxury hotel in Thimphu's northern outskirts is where illustrious Bhutanese and travellers alike are finding their happy place

time-read
6 mins  |
November - December 2022
48 Hours : Seattle Leads The Way
National Geographic Traveller India

48 Hours : Seattle Leads The Way

The jewel of the Pacific Northwest is one of America’s greenest and grooviest culture capitals

time-read
8 mins  |
November - December 2022
BIG BINGE: DUBAI FOR THE JET-SETTING GOURMAND
National Geographic Traveller India

BIG BINGE: DUBAI FOR THE JET-SETTING GOURMAND

Delightful degustation menus, French brasseries with art-inspired menus and Japanese diners excelling at nostalgia—the Dubai Food Festival 2022 justified the city’s status as one of the world’s premier food capitals

time-read
4 mins  |
November - December 2022
CULTURE COOL - UNDER THE EMIRATI SUN
National Geographic Traveller India

CULTURE COOL - UNDER THE EMIRATI SUN

Home to one of the world’s grandest mosques, an exciting emerging arts district on Saadiyat Island and an entertainment hub promising genuine thrills, Abu Dhabi has arrived in the league of extraordinary family destinations

time-read
4 mins  |
November - December 2022
ONLY IN OTTAWA
National Geographic Traveller India

ONLY IN OTTAWA

ACTIVE ADVENTURES, BUZZY BREWERIES AND NEIGHBOURHOODS THRIVING WITH BARS AND BOUTIQUES— CANADA'S BIJOU CAPITAL HAS PLENTY TO DISCOVER BEYOND THE HALLS OF PARLIAMENT

time-read
2 mins  |
November - December 2022
OF FRENCH FINESSE
National Geographic Traveller India

OF FRENCH FINESSE

QUENELLE DE BROCHET IS A REGIONAL LEGACY DISH HAILING FROM LYON. THE OVAL, POACHED PIKE DUMPLINGS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN INVENTED BY A PASTRY CHEF TO REGULATE FISH OVERPOPULATION

time-read
2 mins  |
November - December 2022
Coorg: A WILD ROAST
National Geographic Traveller India

Coorg: A WILD ROAST

Back in another timber den of Karnataka, native wildlife and humble stories surprise Suhas Dwarkanath as he sips on a bold cup of robusta.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November - December 2022
DIVING INTO RAS AL KHAIMAH
National Geographic Traveller India

DIVING INTO RAS AL KHAIMAH

THE U.A.E'S NORTHERNMOST EMIRATE IS ALL ABOUT ENJOYING NATURAL TREASURES, FROM SOARING OVER THE AL-HAJAR MOUNTAINS ON THE WORLD'S LONGEST ZIPLINE TO PERUSING PRECIOUS PEARLS BY THE SEASHORE

time-read
6 mins  |
September - October 2022