It was July in Alentejo, the peak of summer when most travelers avoid the region due to its relentless heat. Our hotel, nearly surrounded by one of Europe’s largest artificial reservoirs, felt like an island in a vast.
I came out one morning to catch sunrise and heard pleasant sheep bell sounds as I moved across the field. Following the sound, I arrived in front of a serene scene with Castelo de Mourão in the background. One sheep approaching its group under a tree. You can see little dust catching the light. Above in far horizon one hot air balloon (popular attraction in Alentejo) another above me. Its burners hissing softly to emphasizing the strange peace. This was Alentejo, unexpected, ageless, and profoundly touching.
Castelo de Mourão Short Story
Perched atop a 184-meter hill, Castelo de Mourão dominates the surrounding landscape, a silent guardian over the confluence of the Brenhas and Lavandeira streams. Constructed atop the foundations of an earlier Arab structure by the Portuguese in the early 14th century. This castle holds evidence of centuries of shifting authority and architectural change.
King Manuel I , employed Francisco de Arruda, well-known for his work on the famous Belém Tower, to improve the building in the sixteenth century together with the building of the São Domingos Convent, which today resides the Manueline tomb of the Rodrigues brothers. It was around this time the clock tower of the castle of Mourão most likely took shape.
Later, during the Restoration Wars of the 17th century, the medieval fortifications were reinforced with bastions and ravelins, adapting to the era’s evolving military strategies. Even today, the remains of the keep and clock tower serve as reminders of its storied past.
Not A Clichéd Postcard Shot
For photographers who seek to blend vibrant color with subtle storytelling—Castelo de Mourão is a dream. The soft morning light filtering through dust-laden air, the earthy hues of the Alentejo plains, and the contrast of ancient stone against the fluid movement of sheep and sky all create a unique visual narrative.
This is not a place for clichéd postcard shots; it’s a landscape that rewards patience and presence. The beauty lies in the details—the way the light catches the dust as a sheep moves, the echo of history in the castle’s weathered stones, the unexpected serenity of a hot air balloon floating overhead. Check out another mystical sight Óbidos Castle, chosen as one of the “7 Wonders of Portugal” in 2007.
