Left Évora just after 9.30 heading for Belmonte (about a 290km drive) but the stopover in Marvao was the absolute highlight today.

Marvao is puportedly Portugal’s most beautiful castle, and it’s certainly the most beautiful site we have visited so far (and we’ve been to a few). It’s high up in the mountains near the border of Spain – legend has it that you can see all of Portugal from the battlements. Being so high it seems to have its own microclimate – we arrived to thick fog and drizzle but once we climbed up the weather gods smiled on us, and although it was windy and cold (6 degrees) the sun emerged .

This is the area where most of the world’s cork is produced- as well as massive cork plantations, streets are lined with cork trees that are harvested. Cork trees take 45 years to generate high quality cork which builds up around the outside of the bark- hence most cork farms are multigenerational with cork farmers planting for their grandchildren

It’s quite a hike to get up to the castle but once you’re there you can walk the entire castle wall – in fact I’m amazed they let people on some areas. The views make it worth the climb. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Had lunch in a very cute cafe, with a caged parrot that offered greetings in every multiple languages and wolf whistled like a tradie from the 80s.

From Marvao we headed to Castello de Vide, supposedly the best preserved Jewish quarter. We were very glad we parked outside the city walls rather than trying to navigate the steep narrow streets.

Arrived at out hotel in Belmonte around 5, having dome the last hour of our drive in pouring rain. We are staying in a converted convent – an absolutely incredible building – warm as toast despite the stonework, largely due to roaring wood heaters in every open space.

had dinner in their restaurant – complete with award winning chef. I snuck in quickly so nobody would notice I had my very elegant hiking boots under my black pants.