The best of Alhandra

On the bank of the River Tagus, Vila Franca de Xira is surrounded by fertile plains – the lezírias (alluvial plains), where the campinos (Ribatejo cowboys) keep constant watch on the horses and bulls that are bred there. Vila Franca de Xira is famous for the unswerving loyalty of the fans of the bullfight, the favourite entertainment in the region, which takes place between April and October almost every weekend in the Palha Blanco Praça de Touros (bullring). For those interest in this, an absolute must is a visit to the Ethnographic Museum in the Praça de Touros, and to the stud farms and equestrian centres of the Lezíria Grande and the Morgado Lusitano.