For some reason when folks think of doing a retreat in Europe – Tuscany is always top on the list. But there are other stunning food and wine locations that definitely give Italy a run for it’s money.
And one of those locations is the Alentejo area of Portugal. Not only is it beautiful and not hard to get to (it’s just outside of Lisbon) but the wine, food, cheese and olive-oil are to die for! I recommend you take a couple of minutes to watch this video and familiarize yourself with this stunning area!
One of the prettiest hotels in the area is the 5 star Convento do Espinheiro in the historic town of Evora – classified as World Heritage by UNESCO since 1986. Evora’s a treasure with much to offer, not only historically and culturally – there are about 300 monuments and churches to visit – but also in terms of gastronomy.
The Convento has 8 acres of outdoor spaces, and for all you foodies you won’t want to miss the kitchen staff’s organic garden, which is located along the water aqueduct. While you’re out and about visit the vineyard, near the Pool Bar, where you’ll find the different varieties of grapes that make the famous Alentejo wine.
Although this gorgeous hotel is around $250 a night (which is really not that expensive for what you get) – there are many other 3 +4 star hotels in the area that are ridiculously inexpensive and absolutely lovely!
An adorable little place owned by a spiritually minded couple is the Casa do Plátano which is also near Evora. According to them “…they decided together to restore an old family house in the centre of Arraiolos, transforming it into a comfortable guesthouse. Casa do Plátano is a place of retreat and meditation, which combines, in a creative and harmonious way, the ancient teachings and wisdom of the yoga philosophy of the energetic centres with the temporal and spatial surroundings of Alentejo.“
Another place worth checking out is the Monto Xisto Hotel, just over an hour’s drive from Lisbon.
If you like extremely modern – consider the Ecorkhotel Suites & Spa. It’s a 4 star architecturally fascinating place surrounded by centenary olive trees, holm trees and cork trees in Evora.
Ecorkhotel uses cork as its coating, which works as a thermal and acoustic isolator and allows for an exceptional energetic efficiency. The hotel was planned and built having maximum energetic efficiency in mind. To do so, it uses geothermal energy to heat the main building and swimming pools and solar panels to heat the water used throughout he hotel and both swimming pools!
The pictures of their food on the website made me want to fly there immediately – I’m sure you’ll feel the same way too!
To your wanderlust life, Sheri
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Dr Sheri Rosenthal is known as one of the most sought after retreat strategists for coaches, speakers, and authors — and is the owner of Journeys of the Spirit Travel®, a boutique agency specializing in the planning and management of group travel.
Through her Wanderlust Entrepreneur Community and her signature course, The Retreat Blueprint Program, she has taught thousands of facilitators how to design exceptional retreats that allow them stand out in their niche. She is famous for helping clients plan, fill, and profit from transformational retreats that change lives in a huge way while adding serious income to their bottom line!
