The Alentejo
Restored farmhouses (montes) on large plots of cork oak and olive, one to two hours east of Lisbon.
Places
Montemor-o-Novo, Évora, Arraiolos, Grândola
Prices
€900k to €3M for restored montes on 2 to 30 ha
Distance
1 h 15 to 1 h 40 to Lisbon
The houses you’ll find
The typical house is a monte: a long, low whitewashed farmhouse with thick walls, small windows and a tiled roof, often with barns and outbuildings. Many have been restored with a modern extension added for light.
Ruins with an approved project are cheaper but take two to three years to finish, and costs often run 20 to 40% over the first estimate.
What to check before you buy
Licensing
Make sure every building you are paying for is on the land registry and has a habitation licence. Unregistered barns can’t be sold as living space.
Water
Ask for borehole yields in late summer, not in spring.
Heat
Summer days often pass 38 °C. Thick walls help, but check the air conditioning and pool.
Living there
Montemor-o-Novo and Évora have supermarkets, clinics and restaurants. Évora is a university town with a hospital.
Neighbours are farmers and other montes, often 1 km or more away. Most buyers here are looking for space and quiet, and visit Lisbon once a week or less.
Questions buyers ask
What is a monte?
A traditional Alentejo farmhouse, usually single-storey and whitewashed, set on its own land.
Is the IMT different for farmland?
Yes. Rural land is taxed at 5% IMT and the house at the urban rate, so your lawyer splits the price between the two.
Can I keep the cork harvest?
Yes. The cork belongs to the owner, and it is harvested every nine years, usually by contract with a local producer.
Looking in this region?
Book a 30-minute call with the agent who covers it. We’ll tell you what’s for sale now, what’s coming up and what your budget buys.
