The “montado” — a cork-oak forest — is a natural ecosystem created by human beings, of which they are an intrinsic part. It is characteristic of the Alentejo and of the inland south of the Iberian Peninsula. It is typically composed of cork and holm oaks, alongside other oaks, olive trees, and many shrubs and fungi.
In winter and spring, it is perfumed by fields of chamomile and pennyroyal; in summer, it is visited by soft, warm winds from the Sahara, known as “sirocco winds”.
Sheep and pigs may inhabit it in small numbers, side by side with the wild fauna — wild boars, foxes, bats and the strident chorus of cicadas — beings entwined in a constant cycle of life and death.