Discover the Alentejo with a Visit to a Cork Forest & Olive Oil Estate, Lisbon

4.3 (6 reviews)
Discover the Alentejo with a Jeep trip in a cork forest, a stroll through a medieval village, and a visit to an olive oil farm.
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Cynthia
Cynthia W.
Sep 25, 2023
This was an amazing eco-friendly experience starting with the Jeep ride through the vineyards and then to their nature preserve. It was wonderful to hear how... Read more
M
Merry C.
Jul 20, 2022
The cork part was fascinating and the trip to the small olive oil farm was wonderful!
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Overview

Discover the sights and customs of the Alentejo countryside, a region known for its production of cork, lush olive groves, and traditional way of life. Led by a local guide, you'll spend the day immersing yourself in Alentejo, beginning with a Jeep ride through a cork and oak forest, where you'll learn about the cork-making process in this area that's one of the biggest cork producers in the world. Dive deeper into Alentejo's history with a visit to a medieval village, and end the day with a trip to an olive oil farm, where you'll do an olive oil tasting and sit down to a tasty farm-to-table lunch.

Highlights

  • Take a Jeep safari through a cork and oak forest to see the area's flora and fauna, like the Iberian black pig.
  • Visit an olive farm and learn about making olive oil.
  • Stroll through the centuries-old streets of a medieval village. 
  • Savor a tasty lunch of local dishes at an olive oil farm.

Know before you go

Duration
8 hours
Recommended for
All ages
Group
Private
Food & Drink
Lunch Included

What you'll do

In the morning, your guide will pick you up at your accommodation and take you to the Alentejo countryside. Portugal is the largest cork producer in the world and most of it comes from Alentejo, a region filled with oak trees harvested for cork, so your excursion begins with a Jeep safari to an oak forest. As you drive through the forest, you'll see the trees in the cork-harvesting process and learn more about this age-old tradition and ecosystem. You may even see an Iberian black pig or two searching for acorns on the ground.

You'll continue on to learn about a different aspect of the region: its medieval history. Your guide will take you to a medieval village, and you may visit the 12th-century Moorish Évoramonte Castle in the Sierra d'Ossa. The last part of the trip is a visit to an olive farm, where you may do a blind olive oil tasting, and you'll find out how this "liquid gold" is produced. After working up an appetite with this immersive exploration of the Alentejo, you'll get to sit down and relax with a tasty lunch on the farm, where you can try regional dishes of fresh ingredients and flavors. Afterward, your guide will transport you back to your accommodation.

What's included

  • Pick up and drop off from your accommodation.
  • Private expert guide.
  • Traditional lunch.
  • Olive oil tasting. 

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Traveler photos
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Traveler reviews

6 total ratings, 5 with reviews
4.3
Feature ratings
Quality of Experience
4.8
Food
5.0
Guides, Drivers and Staff
5.0
Transport
4.8
Robert
Robert G.
Canada | Reviewed on Oct 06, 2023

This was not available on our trip

Cynthia
Cynthia W.
Fremont, CA | Reviewed on Sep 25, 2023
This was an amazing eco-friendly experience starting with the Jeep ride through the vineyards and then to their nature preserve. It was wonderful to hear how they were training the vineyards to grow deeper roots to access water so that no external watering would be needed. Then on the wonderful Olive Oil farm, where they produce the "Amor e' Cego" olive oil the traditional way eschewing modern mass farming techniques. João's message was inspirational and the tasting was intense. Finally, we... Read more

This was an amazing eco-friendly experience starting with the Jeep ride through the vineyards and then to their nature preserve. It was wonderful to hear how they were training the vineyards to grow deeper roots to access water so that no external watering would be needed. Then on the wonderful Olive Oil farm, where they produce the "Amor e' Cego" olive oil the traditional way eschewing modern mass farming techniques. João's message was inspirational and the tasting was intense. Finally, we went on a Cork tour where we all learned something about Cork and the multitude of products it can be made into. Did you know that the Cork tree is harvestable in 9 to 12 years? It is also sustainable without harming the tree.

Quality of Experience
It was a top-notch exprience unlike any other.
Food
They provided a wonderful cheese and Iberian ham plate and delicious wine from their vineyard.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Luis was personable and incredibly knowledgeable on all of the facets of the multiple excursions. Wonderful guide and driver!
Transport
Luis was great and the vehicle spacious.
M
Merry C.
Mexico | Reviewed on Jul 20, 2022

The cork part was fascinating and the trip to the small olive oil farm was wonderful!

Russ
Russ K.
Santa Ana, CA | Reviewed on Jun 10, 2022
Our guide, Joanna, was great! Fun, bubbly, smart, and a great 4x4 driver! We loved this experience, primarily because of her! Read more

Our guide, Joanna, was great! Fun, bubbly, smart, and a great 4x4 driver! We loved this experience, primarily because of her!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
B
Brigette B.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on May 18, 2022
Now into the wild: the safari cork tour was a quiet diversion from our city excursions, as we made our journey south to the Alentejo Region. Our safari’s guide, Joanna, was both personable and quite knowledgeable about the lands that produced cork and wine. Always interested in understanding origination, production, and distribution, our visit to a cork factory after our safari tour was appreciated. One of us is now happily awaiting a unique piece of cork furniture directly from... Read more

Now into the wild: the safari cork tour was a quiet diversion from our city excursions, as we made our journey south to the Alentejo Region. Our safari’s guide, Joanna, was both personable and quite knowledgeable about the lands that produced cork and wine.

Always interested in understanding origination, production, and distribution, our visit to a cork factory after our safari tour was appreciated. One of us is now happily awaiting a unique piece of cork furniture directly from Cortiçarte.

Our primary guide in Alentejo/Evora was Miguel. Miguel was outstanding! He truly went above and beyond to maximize our experiences in the region with care, consideration, and kindness.

Amongst the most enjoyable of the experiences that we shared in the Alentejo was our visit to the small olive orchard, the Monte da Oliveira Velha estate, where Amor é Cego is produced. There, our hosts João and family warmly greeted us and shared the history of the estate before welcoming us to their table for an olive oil tasting and lunch. This experience was truly special.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport

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