Hot Air Balloon
Hot air balloons float above a white village and castle overlooking a lake in Portugal at sunset Generated with AI

Hot Air Balloon Rides in Alentejo & Monsaraz

Cork oak country above the Alqueva, the largest artificial lake in western Europe.

Monsaraz is a walled village on a hill with a castle at the top and, since 2002, a lake underneath it. The Alqueva is the largest artificial lake in western Europe, and it changed what a flight here looks like: the balloon crosses cork oak country and then a sheet of water that reflects the sunrise.

This is also the darkest sky in Portugal — the Alqueva area holds a starlight tourism certification — which matters more than it sounds. The flights leave before dawn, and the drive out is under stars.

Balloon Flight over Monsaraz and the Alqueva, with Champagne Toast
Free cancellation

Balloon Flight over Monsaraz and the Alqueva, with Champagne Toast

4.9 (21) 4.9 stars out of 5, 21 reviews

An hour over the Alentejo, where the ground turns from worked green fields to gold corn and holm oaks, each tree with its own shadow at that hour.

€ 239.00

Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor

When to fly in Alentejo & Monsaraz

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Peak season Flying Out of season

The same reading for all destinations, grouped by climate, is on the season guide.