In room 1710, a unique Lisbon treat awaited me in the form of three really warm custard tarts. And not just any tarts but Pastéis de Belém, as made since 1837, today still fashioned by hand to a recipe that was devised by de-frocked monks after monasteries were closed during Portugal’s Liberal Revolution in 1820.

Set amid the grasslands of Portugal’s raw and unspoilt Alentejo region, the hotel and estate is working with local archaeologist Manuel Calado to develop a series of new family experiences inspired by the estate’s natural surroundings and fascinating megalithic heritage.