Travel columnist Charles Piriou highlights five hotels that demonstrate how a small country can achieve some of the greatest things in the world. Among them is Herdade da Malhadinha Nova.

Situated in the Lower Alentejo, this estate is a place of rare beauty — both natural and human. From the moment the tarmac road is left behind, the gate opens and the first horses appear grazing amongst the holm oaks, one senses an immediate change in the rhythm of the place — almost as if time were passing at a different pace.

Article available in Portuguese.