Herdade do Reguenguinho

A funky country B&B ten miles inland from the surfers’ beach at Malhao

This stretch of the lower Alentejo bears a distinct resemblance to Australia: gum trees, red soil, blue sky, dry savannah, a gentle ripple in the hills. It's fabulously undeveloped. At the herdade (farm) you find a distinctly cool B&B; think surfer chic in the country. You're a short hop from the Atlantic rollers and waves of sand which line Portugal's southwest coast; but miles from anywhere.

Ricardo quit the 9-to-5 of Lisbon and set up home near his beloved waves. He converted two family barns, painted them orange, chiselled out a very funky courtyard in between and infused the place with a warm minimalist elegance. He now runs the coolest place in the district and never gets the time to surf! If you want to learn, he can point you in the right direction, but life here encourages a certain laziness. There’s an infinity pool overlooking fields, hammocks to snooze in, orange bean bags in the courtyard, sun loungers on the terrace, even a shaded daybed. Cool tunes play inside, at night guests chat by moonlight. Rooms are a treat: lots of colour, crisp white linen, roofs open to the rafters.

Highs

• It’s stylish but informal, a seriously hip country B&B
• The funky courtyard and pool with its views of the fields
• The west coast of Portugal is a Mecca for surfers
• You’re lost in the country; come for the sound of silence

Lows

• Although the road passes quietly, you hear the odd car zoom past at night
• The land at the front was a little scruffy, but you don’t notice once you’re in
• Cercal doesn’t have much to offer. If you want some night life, you’ll have to drive to it