Portugal's Alentejo Region from the Sky

In this video by top AirVuz contributor ArturCarvalho, you'll take a first person view (FPV) drone tour of the Alentejo region of Portugal.  Alentejo is the next-to-southernmost region of mainland Portugal.  While it encompasses nearly a third of the country's land area, it's comparatively sparsely populated with only 5% of its population.  The video will take you through towns such as Monção and Castelo de Vide and over some of the iconic castles and villages which give the region its distinctive flavor.  

AirVuz contributor nunovalente brings us this excellent drone video of the giant Alqueva Dam project in Portugal.  The dam is situated on the Guadiana River, which originates in neighboring Spain and flows through southern Portugal into the Gulf of Cádiz.  The dam was completed in 2002, although the giant reservoir lake (the largest in Western Europe) wasn't fully filled until 2010.  In addition to providing hydroelectricity, the dam and reservoir helps to assure a steady water supply for the sometimes drought-prone region of Alentejo.  

Alcácer do Sal is a small city in southwestern Portugal, in its Alentejo region.  It is situated on the Sado River, one of the main waterways in southern Portugal.  The area around Alcácer do Sal is believed to be amongst the longest-settled in the entire country (indeed, in all of Europe), with evidence of human settlement in the area going back tens of thousands of years.  The area has played a prominent role through the Antiquity and much of modern Portuguese history.  In this video, Flybyzion gives us an aerial view of this ancient city. 

In this video, contributor A.Buscka gives us a stunning drone's eye view of an area of the Atlantic coast of southern Portugal.  Lapa das Pombas lies on the coast of the Alentejo region, which covers most of southern Portugal north of the Algarve region.  In this video, shot with a DJI Mavic Pro drone, you'll see how spectacular the coast is in this part of the country, which lies just south of the Mira River.   The rock formations, cliffs, and other natural scenery make for some epic aerial viewing.  

Former DVOW Finalist TravelPenguin brings us this fantastic drone video of Alcácer do Sal, Portugal.  The town is located in the in the southern portion of the Setúbal District, which is part of the region of Alentejo (northern Setúbal District being part of the Greater Lisbon Region).  Situated on the banks of the Sado River, the area has been inhabited (albeit not continuously) for over 40k years.  Alcácer do Sal played an important role in the Reconquista struggle between Christianity and Islam as well as the later Crusades.  

Portugal's Cabo Sardão is a small peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean in its Alentejo region, near the region's southern border with the Algarve region.  The cape is accessible via a roughly 5 km (around 3 mi.) walking trek from Zambujeira do Mar, a seaside parish just to its south.  Seen in this drone video by A.Buscka, the area features some stunning cliffs and rock formations.  Alentejo is one of the five main regions of mainland Portugal, covering much of the southern part of the country north of the Algarve region.  

Check out this excellent drone video of a historical town in southern Portugal, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot martinhos.  The town is called Reguengos de Monsaraz, and it's located in the Évora District of the region of Alentejo.  With a population of about 10k permanent residents, it's one of the larger settlements in eastern Alentejo, one of Portugal's most thinly populated areas.  The video features excellent footage of the town's castle, as well as its Santo António Mother Church, which dates to the late 19th century.  

The Alentejo region of Portugal is one of its largest in land area but one of its least populous.  Its name translates to  "Beyond the Tagus", in reference to its position on the south bank of the country's most important waterway.  While Alentejo has a section of the Atlantic Ocean coast, most of the region's substantial land area lies in the interior.  In this drone video by pedrolftavares, you'll get some great aerial views of northern Alentejo, an area of  wide-open spaces, castles, lakes, and farmland.  

Check out these aerial views of the beaches of Portgual's Alentejo region, compliments of Joao Tiago Oliveira.  While most of the region is in the interior, the southwestern part of Alentejo lies along the Atlantic Ocean, between the Algarve region to its south and the Greater Lisbon region to its north.  The video features footage of the following beaches, in order of appearance: Praia da Franquia, Praia do Malhão, Praia da Zambujeira do Mar, Praia do Carvalhal, and Praia dos Buizinhos.

Check out this drone video of a well-known hilltop town in the Alentejo region of Portugal, compliments of AirVuz contributor nunovalente.  The town of Monsaraz is located near the Guadiana River, which marks the boundary between Portugal and Spain for a portion of its run.  It's roughly on the opposite (eastern) side of Portugal from Lisbon, which is also a bit north.  Settled since pre-historic times, the town's castle and other fortifications were built during the bloody struggles in the region during the Middle Ages.  

Check this aerial video of a walled town in eastern Portugal, compliments of AirVuz contributor and drone pilot A.Buscka.  It's called Castelo de Vide, and it's near the country's eastern border with Spain, about 225 km (around 135 mi.) east and a bit north of Lisbon.  The town was fortified by virtue of its location along the border of what was then Castile, the region which subsequently became the core of modern Spain.  It's part of the Portalegre District in Alentejo, the region which covers a portion of southern Portugal.

Check out this excellent drone video of a famous abandoned mine in southern Portugal, compliments of top contributor Francisco Rodrigues.  The Sao Domingos Mine is located near the town of Corte do Pinto in the Alentejo region, just west of the Spanish border.  The mine was originally exploited for its gold and silver deposits during Roman times.  In the 19th century, it was tapped by French and later British mining interests for its copper, and later it became a source of pyrite for sulfuric acid.  It was closed in the mid-1960's.