Cathy Leibman

Have you ever imagined owning a country estate? Pottering in a vegetable garden, basket in hand, perhaps even tending to a few pigs or sheep? We certainly have. Yet the truth remains: we are city folk through and through — our most valiant attempt at self-sufficiency being four lemon trees and wildly enthusiastic rosemary. That romantic dream of rural life flickered back into focus as we visited Malhadinha Nova, a Relais & Châteaux estate in Albernoa, Beja — deep in the Alentejo, Portugal’s cradle of agriculture and viniculture. It’s a place where time slows, traditions linger, and the horizon stretches into soft golden hills. Remarkably, it’s just one hour from our home in the Algarve and sends off vibes from Alan’s home country, South Africa.