From the peaceful landscape of the vast Ribatejo open plains to the extense golden Alentejo wheat fields, the peaceful landscape is but a curtain that opens on to an unimaginable heritage.

One is first taken by surprise by the remarkable traces of successive cultures: dolmens and cromlechs, Roman and Arab vestiges mingling with the most recent signs of Christianity, of which the numerous medieval castles are but one example.The north-western part of the region, located on the banks of the Tagus and dominated by Santarem, consists of fertile grasslands, where the finest bulls and horses roam peacefully.

To the north-east are the beautiful villages and towns which make up the so-called Rota dos Castelos (Castle Route): Nisa, Castelo de Vide, Manvao, Portalegre and Alter do Chao.

Further south, the landscape becomes warmer and flatter: around Evora (one of the most beautiful towns in Portugal), are Monsaraz, Vila Vicosa, Estremoz, and Arraiolos (renowned for its hand-made tapestries, based on traditional drawings from the 17th and 18th centuries). Driving onto the south, the vast plains become less inhabited and sunnier, the only shade being provided by the olive trees and oak trees and the only amenity being provided by refreshing dams. A trip to Alvito, Beja, Serpa and Mertola will be worth your time. The coastline to the south-west, offers the visitor magnificent Atlantic beaches.

As the region with the highest thermal amplitude (going down to 52C or up to 33'C), Planicies are a dispersedly populated region with quite open horizons, where the rhythm of life follows the idle sound of regional songs.