The Best Tourism Villages programme, promoted by UN Tourism, recognises rural villages around the world that stand out as remarkable examples of sustainable tourism, cultural preservation and the safeguarding of local heritage.
Created to acknowledge communities that use tourism as a driver for balanced development, this international initiative highlights destinations that successfully preserve their identity, protect their natural and cultural heritage, and simultaneously create economic opportunities for local populations.
More than a distinction, the programme fosters a global network of destinations that share common values: authenticity, sustainability, hospitality and a deep connection between community, landscape and culture.
Each selected village becomes part of an international reference network that includes some of the most inspiring rural territories in the world, serving as examples of how tourism can contribute to the vitality of communities and the preservation of their traditions.
Within the Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, two localities have already been recognised within this prestigious programme, affirming the cultural, landscape and human value of this region of the Alentejo: Cumeada (2021) and Mértola (2025).
Located in the heart of the Alqueva territory, the village of Cumeada has become an international reference for the relationship between rural community life and a preserved night sky.
It is here that the Dark Sky® Alqueva headquarters and the Official Dark Sky® Alqueva Observatory are located, a space dedicated to astronomical observation, scientific education and the promotion of the importance of protecting the night sky.
Small in scale yet vast in the horizons it offers, Cumeada represents an inspiring example of how a rural community can integrate science, tourism and local identity. Beneath one of the darkest and most pristine skies in Europe, visitors from around the world find a place where the silence of the Alentejo plains becomes an invitation to contemplate the cosmos.
By joining the Best Tourism Villages programme, Cumeada affirms itself as a model of tourism that respects the territory, values the community and recognises the night sky as an integral part of humanity’s natural and cultural heritage.
Rising above the valley of the Guadiana River, the historic town of Mértola is one of the most distinctive places in southern Portugal.
With roots that span millennia, Mértola was once a Roman river port, an Islamic city and a strategic point along the trade routes connecting the Mediterranean to the interior of the Iberian Peninsula. This multicultural heritage remains visible in the town’s urban fabric, its traditions and the extraordinary archaeological heritage that continues to reveal new layers of its history.
Today, Mértola stands as a territory where heritage, scientific research and community life coexist in harmony. Its historic centre, dominated by the medieval castle and the former mosque transformed into a church, forms a unique setting where different civilisations have left their mark.
The distinction as a Best Tourism Village recognises not only the historical and cultural value of the town, but also the exemplary work carried out in preserving its heritage and promoting sustainable tourism deeply connected to the identity of the territory.
Where Villages, Landscape and Sky Form a Living Heritage
In the deep Alentejo, the Dark Sky® Alqueva territory reveals a dimension of tourism where nature, culture and science coexist in balance.
The presence of localities recognised by the Best Tourism Villages programme reinforces the international value of this territory, where small communities continue to preserve traditional ways of life, authentic landscapes and centuries-old traditions.
Between historic villages, endless plains and one of the darkest skies in Europe, Dark Sky® Alqueva invites visitors to discover an Alentejo where time slows down, authenticity endures and every place tells a story that spans generations.
