In the 1980s, Manuel Arroja Beatriz, an engineer, decided to make his long running dream of becoming a producer of quality wine using only environmentally friendly techniques to extract all the potential of national and foreign grape cast, come true.

On purchasing 70 hectares of land in the region of Canha (Pegões) with the aim of cultivating only red castes (Piriquita, Touriga Nacional, Aragonês, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante Bouchet and Syrah) which later on made up the TOJO wines (see www.quintadecatralvos.com) - Manuel Beatriz came across a beautiful group of rural houses, which he immediately decided to transform into a tourist complex and thus share the magic of this place with other lovers of nature.

Thus the Monte da Charca Tourism project was born, one integrated into the larger Quinta de Catralvos Wine-tourism project (see www.quintadecatralvos.com) -developed in Azeitão around 25 hectares of vines and with a fully equipped modern cellar where all the TOJO brand wines are produced - and capable of accommodating 2000 people for events and a gourmet restaurant run by the renowned chef Luís Baena.

But the difference between the Monte da Charca and the many other rural hotels is that here guests do not feel as “tourists” but rather as guests of a community of agricultural workers who live at the Monte all year round to work and cultivate the vine.

It is this intimacy with the habits and traditions of rural activities that makes the Monte da Charca a different alternative.