Vicinity and environment Our cottage stands on the outskirts of Casas Novas, a small settlement with few houses built in the traditional style. It is situated half way between Lisbon and the Algarve, about a 20 minute drive away from Vila Nova de Milfontes on the Atlantic. It is easy to reach by road and lies in an idyllic setting of the corktree culture in Alentejo. Unique in Europe. 6 kilometres from our Monte is the small town of Cercal. Local impressions A regular visitor What’s new? A chat with the shepherd over the fence. Dawn Unforgettable moments: Dawn across the countryside. To start Holiday in the countryside ... A passing herd of cows. ... Away from milling crowds ... a welcome change, not only for children! To start Cork forests. Cork trees add to this unmistakable character. Our cork harvest. The annual cork harvest near to our house. To start Shopping, doctors etc. Cercal has numerous cafes and restaurants and essential services, for example; Post, Bank, Chemist, a Health-food shop, Supermarkets ( such as Lidl in Odemira and Sines, Aldi in Santiago de Cacem). Also many other shopping facilities, Doctors and a Catholic Church. We got for you the most important telefonenumbers. To start