Alentejo is a south-central region of Portugal. Its name's origin, based on the portuguese sentence "além do Tejo", literally translates to "beyond the Tagus". The region is separated from the center/north of Portugal by the Tagus river, and extends to the south where it borders the Algarve region. Topographically the countryside varies considerably, from the open rolling plains of the south of the Alentejo to the granite hills that border Spain in the north-east. Since Alentejo is the driest and hottest region of Portugal, a great number of public dams have been constructed, most notably the Alqueva Dam (the biggest artificial lake of the Iberian Peninsula).

Most of the displayed photos were made during the last week of March 2007, together with my dear friend and photographer Nuno Luis. Please also check his Alentejo photos at: South in the Spring.
We both tried to capture Alentejo as it has not been seen before, so I hope you enjoy it! Please stay tuned as this will gallery be UPDATED during this whole week and GROW over time. Also check my other NEW galleries!


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(All images can be purchased or licensed. Please e-mail me or try here SmugMug's Joel Santos Portfolio. Check my Profile to know more about me.)