Craft-Hunting in the Alentejo

Charming pottery towns, a rescued heirloom mill, and a 500-year-old tradition of rug-making

Fast Fact: About 100 miles east of Lisbon, the Alentejo region is the Tuscany of Portugal. Cork forests, olive groves, ancient castle ruins at every curve, and people and places holding fast to the old ways of making things by hand. If you’re in Portugal, it would be a heartbreak to miss it.

During a recent trip, we crisscrossed this stunning countryside, sussing out the best back-alley olarias (pottery studios), magic-making textile mills and village craft museums dedicated to telling the stories of traditional Portuguese craft.