I stayed with my husband in this pousada and it was one of the highlights of our 2 week trip to Portugal. The staff were friendly and helpful, almost too formal -- they stood up when we came by the front desk. We ate at the restaurant and my husband thought that it was one of the finer meals he ate in the country -- the fish was not overcooked and dry, in comparison to other restuarants all through Portugal. I am a vegetarian, and the menu had options for me unlike many other restaurants where my only choices were a large green salad or eggs for dinner. The breakfast was good, with many options and fresh juice.

We found our room to be large, very spacious, nicely decorated with one of the best quality hardwood floors I have ever seen in a hotel room. The grounds are very well kept, peaceful in general, and it was a lovely experience. There are several peacocks roaming around and they sometimes perch in the trees which was an amusing sight.

I do not understand the previous reviewer's criticisms of Portugal. This was my first time in the country. I am not shocked that tours are given in the native language of the country, Portuguese. Why not complain that tours were not given in Mandarin Chinese, think how many people in the world speak that language. It is a bit self-centered to expect all the world to cater to english speaking tourists.

I went to the Bone Chapel in Evora -- My husband and I paid 3 euro to enter for the two of us and then the 50 cents for the photos. It is incredibly petty to complain about this. I studied art history for many years. No one is getting rich off the admission fees. The cost of upkeep of historic monuments is very high, no matter what country one lives in. Every time a visitor enters a monument such as the Bone Chapel in Evora, or the Arena Chapel in Padua, the body heat and such gradually deteriorate the monument. Flash photography causes fading of the painted ceilings of the Bone Chapel. If a person is going to contribute to the decay of an ancient monument, church, or site, it seems perfectally reasonable to charge an admission fee to offset the costs of conservation and restoration.

Portugal has a wealth of monuments from castles to churches to Roman remains. All of the charges I encountered were reasonable. Considering the cost of a museum in the US, or going to a movie, I thought the costs were minor in comparison to what I learned and saw. In Lisbon most museums are free on Sundays until 2:00 pm, some all day.

The country side of the Alentejo is beautiful and there are some decent wines being made in the region.

This was a wonderful experience and I am someone who goes to Europe at least 4 times per year.

The pousada is in a well-preserved 15th-century castle in a tiny town in the Alentejo, Portugal´s breadbasket. The gardens are gorgeous, and populated with peacocks, cats, birds, orange trees and grapevines, among other things. There is a pool and a very professional and helpful barman who ventures out to look after poolside guests´ needs. Now the negatives: the food was lousy considering the price, indifferently presented and unimaginative. It was quite like what you´d expect to find in any hole in the wall, but here you pay many times more. The buffet breakfast was run of the mill and some wait staff poorly trained for a hotel of this category. When we asked whether we could have a better room (for instance one in which two people could comfortably use the bathroom or in which the faucet didn´t spray everywhere) the front desk people immediately and indifferently stated that the hotel was full, without bothering to ask why we wanted to change. To sum up, this is a beautiful property but the investment in cuisine and staff training falls short considering the price (about $180 per night, including breakfast and lunch or dinner, excluding drinks). Kids would probably enjoy staying in a castle and seeing the peacocks, pool, etc., but only the building and grounds are five star. Apparently Pousadas has been privatized and is now run by the Pestana group. Whether this has anything to do with it I can´t say.

I realize that Portugal is a relatively poor country, but in this case only the quality reflects that. We paid 5 euros each to tour a former royal palace in Vila Vicosa, which involved an obligatory guided group tour done only in Portuguese and in stiflingly hot semi-darkness (it would have been total darkness had the guide not asked tourists to open the shutters upon entering each room). You´d think for 5 euros they could at least give you a brochure. Entrance to the Bone Chapel in Evora costs a couple euros, and more money to take photos. Portugal has a wealth of historical and natural beauties, but it seems the tourist is easy prey.