Monsaraz: the white hilltop village and Europe's darkest sky

Monsaraz has two main streets and a few alleys, and you can walk it in no time. But the charm is in the details: old doors, Alentejo chimneys, flowerpots, small restaurants and craft shops with blankets and ceramics.

The village was taken back from the Moors in the twelfth century and handed to the Knights Templar, and it has kept its walls and medieval layout to this day. Only residents may drive in, which helps make silence one of its main attractions.

Late in the afternoon, when the day visitors leave, Monsaraz becomes even more beautiful. The golden light on the white walls and the view over the plain make that moment one of the most special in the Alentejo.

At the end of the village stands the castle, with a keep and walls you can walk along. The curious part is inside: the castle courtyard was turned into a small bullring, still used for events on festival days.

From the top of the walls the view sweeps over the Alentejo plain, the Alqueva lake and, on clear days, as far as Spain. It's one of the best viewpoints in southern Portugal, and it's free.

In the old courthouse, the Fresco Museum holds a rare medieval painting, the fresco of the good and bad judge. It shows an honest judge and a corrupt two-faced one taking bribes. A centuries-old lesson in justice that remains strangely relevant.

At the foot of Monsaraz stretches the Alqueva lake, created in the early twenty-first century by building the dam. It is the largest artificial lake in Western Europe, with hundreds of kilometres of indented shoreline, islands and quiet bays.

On the lake there are boat trips, river beaches, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and even houseboats to rent. The water is calm and warm in summer, and the shores are lined with olive and holm oak trees and small villages.

One of the most curious stories is that of Aldeia da Luz, which was flooded by the dam and rebuilt nearby with the same layout. The new village's museum tells what it meant to move an entire village.

The Alqueva region was the world's first destination certified as a Starlight Tourism Destination, thanks to low light pollution and many cloudless nights. On new-moon nights the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye, from one side of the sky to the other.

Observatories and local companies run stargazing sessions with telescopes and guides who explain the constellations. Even without a telescope, just move away from the lights, lie down in a field and wait for your eyes to adjust.

For photographers, Monsaraz lit up on its hill with a starry sky above is one of the most beautiful images you can take home from Portugal. Choose dates near the new moon for the best results.

Reguengos de Monsaraz, the town just below, is one of the most important wine areas in the Alentejo. Large and small wineries offer tastings and vineyard visits, with full-bodied reds and fresh whites. Tasting Alentejo wine with the plain in front of you is a mandatory part of the experience.

Nearby is São Pedro do Corval, one of Portugal's largest pottery villages, with dozens of workshops making hand-painted plates, pots and decorative pieces. It's a good place to buy useful, beautiful souvenirs.

The region is full of megalithic monuments thousands of years old: menhirs, dolmens and stone circles. The Xerez Cromlech, with dozens of stones around a menhir, and the Bulhoa Menhir are near Monsaraz. To eat, order migas, black pork, açorda and encharcada for dessert.