São Lourenço do Barrocal – an Unpretentious Agricultural Luxury Estate in the Alentejo Region

With two centuries of history The São Lourenço do Barrocal estate is more than a luxury hotel. Idyllically surrounded by vineyards, olive groves, old cork oaks and menhirs, the property lies in the wild and unspoilt inner Alentejo, one of the most sparsely populated regions in Southern Europe. Pritzker award-winning architect Eduardo Souto de Moura has converted the former farming village into a hotel.

As you slowly drive up the narrow, uneven road towards the property, you already notice a sense of calm settling in. Irregular, granitic rocks (barrocais) are scattered everywhere around the landscape – it is them that gave the estate its name. Swallows fly chirping over the sprawling grounds with their white-painted buildings connected by light-colored paving stones.

The vast property features 22 rooms, two suites and 16 cottages, as well as two farm-to-table restaurants, a winery, a farm shop, two huge outdoor pools, two bars, horse stables, a gym and a spa with treatments tailored to the individual using Susanne Kaufmann’s line of botanically-inspired organic products.

Interior design took centre stage in creating São Lourenço do Barrocal from conception to implementation – and every last detail has been considered. For the interiors the duo AnahoryAlmeida used handcrafted objects from the surrounding area and natural materials such as wood and ceramics. The floors are covered with terracotta clay tiles baked in the oven of a nearby pottery.

São Lourenço do Barrocal is truly a place for self-reflection, for long walks, gentle cycles, lazy swims and hearty food. Speaking of food – the estate has created an agricultural homestead with its own organic production. Celebrating Alentejo gastronomy, the dishes are infused with herbs from the region, handpicked by the gardener in the property’s old vegetable garden. Beef comes from Barrocal pastures, fish comes from the nearby Alqueva Lake.

Those who want to get to know the region and its culture are invited to take part in numerous activities like wine tasting or wine harvesting, horse riding, stargazing (the area around Barrocal has been named as Dark Sky Reserve) or having a picnic with a basket filled with delicacies in the estate’s many wildflower-filled meadows.

São Lourenço do Barrocal, 7200-177 Monsaraz, Portugal, reservations@barrocal.pt, +351 266 247 140