We returned to the the main road and stopped in Portalegre for fuel before heading south, taking back roads through gentle countryside and small villages. We struggled to find suitable laybys for a lunch stop and after following signs with a dolmen which turned out to be the logo for a waste recycling plant in the middle of nowhere, we came across a fonte outside a small town on a muddy and littered patch of ground. Once refreshed we reached the main road at Sousel with a very bumpy pavé surface which at least slows down the cars, and bypassed the larger town of Estremoz before turning west to the Barragem do Divor for a free overnight stop with just one other French motorhome.  After a peaceful night we drove into the compact city of Evora and found parking at the Rossio de Sao Bras on the southern edge of the city centre, after getting lost in the narrow oneway streets. There are many old buildings in the city, from the ruins of a Roman temple to the large cathedral, lots of churches and other ecclesiastical buildings and palaces, many with typical 16th Century Manueline architectural features, as well as an ossuary which closes at lunchtimes. In the back streets we came across a small square with an interesting globe fountain built in the Sixteenth Century.
    We continued south stopping at the small town of Alvito with a castle, now a Pousada (state run hotel) and a Manueline church, and headed across the plains to Castro Verde where we found a new cheap municipal campsite which was open but empty. We took an evening stroll to the town centre where we found many typical traditional tiled buildings, an old windmill, modern art on the roundabouts and were stared at intentedly by more old men sitting on benches. The large fire station was surrounded by orange trees and had a café and bar. The Bombeiros Voluntarios (volunteer firefighters) in Portugal are looked on as heroes although they are often ill equipped compared to those in other European countries. The town is set among extensive grasslands of the Alentejo and the area is popular with birdwatchers being the home of the great bustard although when we drove to a nature reserve by a remote chapel the next morning we didn't see or hear any. However a couple of large trees by the campsite had several storks nests and about a hundred young storks roosting. Apparently the town holds one of the largest traditional markets and fairs every October and the largest copper mine in Europe is nearby. It also has distinctive town signs on the approach roads.

We spent another free night at the Baragem do Monte da Rocha before heading across country climbing through wooded hills on a very uneven road (N266) to the town of Monchique in the Algarve. After a tour of the town with several attractive old buildings and street art we drove up to the "mountain" of Foia for extensive views of the Algarve coast (if you ignore the multitude of radio masts and very ugly concrete visitors centre). We pulled in to the mirador on the road down where there was a fonte with local residents filling up dozens of water containers.

The private motorhome aire at Caldas de Monchique was temporarily closed so we continued to the busy coast and a campsite at Alvor. We discovered free motorhome parking the next day by the beach but had booked in to the site for two nights. After a lazy day in the warm sunshine we drove along the coast to Carvoeiro where we had stayed many years ago but it was far busier than we remembered.

The next morning we drove west calling in at Lagos for a stroll along the prom before continuing along the coast through the resorts of Praia de Luz and Burgau then over the hills to Boca de Rio, a delightfiul undeveloped estuary where a few motorhomes were parked - it's apparently popular for overwintering but there are no facilities. After lunch and another stroll we followed the main road inland for a few miles before driving down to another small beach with just a restaurant at Praia do Ingrina where we parked up on the cliff top with half a dozen Dutch, French and British motorhomes. The next morning we walked over the cliffs to the next bay where there were a few surfers' vans then chatted to a couple from Northern Ireland who had been visiting to Portugal for years, before setting off along the coast to Sagres which was deserted so we continued about 6km to Cabo de S. Vicente, the south westerly tip of Europe where there is a fort and lighthouse and a few stalls selling woollen ponchos as it's frequently very windy. The most amazing site were the anglers on the edge of the 200ft high cliffs. We returned to Sagres for another free overnight stay above the beach.