P

ortugal’s pousadas are all over the map, both literally and figuratively — choose poorly and you might find yourself in something that feels like a cement factory on the outskirts of a lesser town, which it may well be, but do a little homework (or copy ours) and you’ll end up in a place like Pousada do Crato, a stunning 14th-century castle turned sleekly decorated modern hotel in one of the most beautiful, unspoiled stretches of countryside in Western Europe. And it’s a bargain to boot, with rooms frequently starting around the hundred-Euro mark, just as they do at the lesser pousadas.

We’ve called it a stunning 14th-century castle, but really that undersells it; the building has had stints as a castle, a Duke’s palace, a monastery and convent, and now of course an outstanding hotel. It turns up in a footnote or two of Portuguese history, in one case because an impostor-king, who took the Portuguese throne for a single day before being ousted, briefly made it his home. Here’s another, perhaps more directly useful fact: to sit in a lounger under a big white parasol beside the sparkling pool, sipping vinho verde in the sun beneath the castle’s façade, is but one of many deeply pleasurable pastimes on offer at Pousada do Crato.

Another is eating traditional local cuisine at the garden-side restaurant. The Alentejo region, where the hotel is located, is occasionally compared to the Tuscany or Provence of thirty or forty years ago, and the food is no small part of that. Excellent cheeses, olive oil, salt-baked fish dishes and lamb stews are some of the standbys.

Like the architecture, the activities on offer lean toward the medieval — falconry, hunting, fishing, riding horses — though the most enticing might just be driving around the nearby countryside. It’s a landscape of vineyards and rolling plains, dotted with tiny walled cities, whitewashed homes and farmhouses, marble chapels and Moorish forts. The region has become increasingly popular with tuned-in leisure-chasers, so get there quick — but once you’ve arrived, remember to slow down. The optimal pace here is an easy one.

How to get there:
Pousada do Crato is located 180 km from Lisbon International Airport.