São Lourenço do Barrocal is a a recently restored 19th century farmhouse hotel, winery and spa located on a historic family estate in a wild corner of Portugal's unspoilt Alentejo region.
This 780-hectare has remained within the same family for over 200 years but fell into ruin following Portugal's political turmoil in the 1970s and the forced collectivisation of farms in the region.
Eighth generation owner José António Uva was determined to bring the community back to life and, working with architects, designers, archaeologists and a local team, spent 14 years restoring the estate and transforming it into a hotel.
The resulting farmhouse hotel has guest rooms and cottages within the original farm buildings along a cobbled street.
The interiors draw inspiration from the local farm villages, with traditional terracotta brick floors and whitewashed walls.
A farm-to-table restaurant serves organic produce sourced from trusted local suppliers and vegetables, fruits and olive oils from the estate's own organic garden and olive groves.
The winery is at the heart of the estate's regeneration, with 15 hectares of vineyards producing first-class single-estate wines under the regional Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC).
Guests can enjoy tours of the winery, which produces up to 30,000 bottles a year.
The stables house Barrocal's own horses, which can be ridden through the estate to discover the Neolithic monuments dotting the landscape, or up the hill to the medieval town of Monsaraz.
Classic Portuguese bicycles are available for guests to explore the many trails and local villages, and keen birders can spot the 75 species of birds living on the estate.
The world's first dedicated Starlight Tourism Destination, São Lourenço do Barrocal is located in the Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve and offers unparalleled stargazing.
Protected from light pollution, guests can observe the Milky Way in startling clarity, spotting shooting stars and constellations with the help of off-site expert astronomers ata nearby observatory.
Guests can also enjoy private boat trips on nearby Alqueva Lake, stopping at deserted islands including the Golden Isle, so-called for the sand which glitters with mica.