When I decided to visit Alentejo in Portugal this year, I looked for a house to be built in the local style, with some green space around it (for my kid) and with owners who commit to particular values of sustainability, local development and authenticity. I found all three in Horta Vermelha. Regarding the house, we stayed at Sobreira cottage. The house itself is built in local style, with stone flooring and walls, well restored and decorated with clean style by the owners. In itself it is not a magnificent house; it follows the simple, clean style of a peasant home. The garden was absolutely great. Orchards of olive trees, chestnuts, plum trees, bushes of blackberries, lavender ... for us, it was the best part of the stay. In the morning, we could collect directly from the trees some plums and blackberries for breakfast; in the evening we would eat some nuts or grab some herbs for cooking. We could literally take a walk around the property. My kid had a blast running around. Finally, the property and house are maintained using local knowledge. Insects and weed were kept at bay using natural processes. It gets wild enough to be enjoyable without getting too wild to be annoying. Also a small creek runs through the property, making watering a natural process.