Ecopistas in Alentejo Central

Country: Portugal

You cannot miss a visit in the region of Alentejo Central, characterized by rolling plains, cork oak forests, vineyards and olive groves. It is a patchwork of rustic whitewashed villages with authentic rural life, traditional gastronomy and characteristic landscape of the Grande Rota do Montado. The montado is a traditional, human-shaped ecosystem integrating agricultural crops, livestock grazing, and forestry and featuring low-density, savannah-like evergreen oak forests, recognized as a “biodiversity sanctuary”. Évora, the regional capital and the European Capital of Culture in 2027, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site features a Roman temple, known as “Templo de Diana”. Alentejo Central hosts three remarkable greenways which are part of the Grande Rota do Montado network and are designed for cycling, walking, and other forms of sustainable mobility as well as nature tourism and ecotourism.

Ecopista de Reguengos is almost 42. kilometre greenway route running from UNESCO-listed Évora to Reguengos de Monsaraz, rich in cultural heritage. You will pass through olive orchards, picturesque vine fields, cork oak forests, and riverside vegetation. Wildlife commonly seen along the trail includes swallows, owls, robins, partridges, hares, and rabbits. 

A further beautiful greenway in the region is Ecopista de Mora, a 31-kilometre route running from Évora to Vale de Paio, developed along the former Mora railway branch. The route combines cultural heritage with nature tourism, offering visitors the chance to explore the traditional village of Arraiolos — famous for its handmade carpets — and the rural landscapes of the Alentejo plains. 

Last but not least in this region is the Ecopista do Montado, a greenway that follows a former railway corridor in the municipality of Montemor-o-Novo. The 13-kilometre route runs through the characteristic “montado” landscape, offering rural scenery, local biodiversity, and elements of the region’s cultural heritage, making it part of a broader initiative to promote sustainable mobility and nature-based tourism in Alentejo.

More information:

www.ippatrimonio.pt/pt-pt/ecopistas

Photos: Cristina Carrico, Alentejo Central