Forget Lisbon - this is the Portuguese destination you should be visiting

They can live for more than 200 years. The ancient Greeks revered them so much that only priests were permitted to chop them down. Portugal has protected them since the 13th century. And, at certain times throughout the year, their trunks and branches radiate an intense cinnamon colour, creating a stunning tableau.

Meet the Sobreiro (Quercus suber L.), the cork oak, Portugal's official national tree.

This extraordinary gnarled tree has grown in Portugal for centuries, part of a delicate ecosystem of cork oaks, scrub and herbs, known as montado. Consisting of an area of more than 1 million hectares (much of which covers the region of Alentejo), the montado is highly protected.

These days, travellers can enjoy a large number and range of cork-related experiences: traipse through lush forests with olive groves and cork trees on an organised cork tour with a local operator with insightful commentary; sleep in a quaint hotel constructed of cork; browse shops for the ideal wallet; or wander along a country trail and enjoy the montado's magic.

Cork tours range from guided treks through cork forests to cork and wine sunset experiences. As well as learning about the life, production and harvesting of cork oaks, much of the joy comes from being immersed in olive groves, vineyards and warm breezes. Head out with Portugal Farm Experience or Herdade da Maroteira. portugalfarmexperience.com/cork-tours; corktrekking.com

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Ten kilometres west of Evora, Alentejo, the Ecorkhotel, a cork-clad building, comes with good eco credentials: cork insulation, solar panels and geothermal heating. Its location, among meadows and close to some decent wineries, is beautiful.

Herdade das Barradas da Serra provides one of the most nature-based, cork-focussed stays, not because it's made of cork (it's not) but because of its tranquil locale within an age-old cork forest. ecorkhotel.com; barradasdaserra.pt

Wander along a boardwalk in the pretty village of Aguas de Moura to view the world's largest cork tree. Planted in 1783, and known as The Whistler (O Assobiador) for the songbirds that nestle in its branches, it has been harvested more than 20 times since the early 1800s. Its highest yield was 825 kilograms, enough for 100,000 wine bottles (a cork oak produces about 4000 corks on average). treeoftheyear.org

Planet Cork brings this age-old industry into the 21st century. Opened in 2022 in Porto, the cutting-edge and interactive exhibits cover the life and contemporary, often sustainable, usages of cork - in fabrics, construction, insulation for NASA and music-recording studios.

South of Porto, Santa Maria de Lamas Museum was founded in the 1950s by art lover and cork magnate, Henrique Amorim, as a tribute to the industry that made his fortune (Amorim is Portugal's largest cork company). Religious icons abut pieces of art that are corky constructions. These include replicas of the Tower of Belem to household articles.

In Evora, the excellent exhibits (and tour) at Casa do Montado cover all things montado. wow.pt/museums/planet-cork; museu.colegiodelamas.com; casadomontado.com

It's a no brainer: don't miss a visit to a winery. The Alentejo wine route directs you to some of Alentejo's best adegas where (not surprisingly) "screw top" is a dirty phrase; if a tasting room whets your palate, go a step further: treat yourself to the fine dining at Herdade do Esporao, one of Portugal's best restaurants. vinhosdoalentejo.pt; esporao.com

Marvel at the world's largest cork mosaic at the Art and Culture Centre in Ponte de Sor, central Portugal.

Albanian artist Saimir Strati used 400,000 corks to complete a 157-metre portrait of Jose Saramago, a famous Portuguese writer, and other landmarks. cm-pontedesor.pt

Sustainable souvenir time? Buy up at Cultura Portuguesa (Porto) or Lisbon Cork & Co (Lisbon).

Both stock a tasteful selection of fashion and household items, all made from cork, that extend way beyond shoes, hats and handbags (though they have these, too). culturaportuguesa.eu; corkandcompany.pt

The village of Sao Bras de Alportel promotes a DIY route that outlines everything from walking trails that meander through forests to the Eco Cork Factory that offers tours. cm-sbras.pt; eco-corkfactory.com

The following snippets will help you on your cork-loving journey.

1. The cork oak (Quercus suber L.) is an evergreen tree that provide a great deal (between 40 and 60 kilograms of cork), yet takes little from the environment.

2. Most of the old cork oaks either propagated spontaneously (think acorns) or were planted by a well-intending great grandfather who dug his heel into the earth to plant consciously an acorn for future generations.

3. Harvesting cork still relies on manual, and back-breaking, labour. Pairs of skilled men use an axe and force to cut and then ply off the slabs of bark in one neat piece. They then paint onto the trunk the last digit of the year of harvest. This alerts them to the date they can next strip the cork, a period of nine years; the trees are strictly protected by Portuguese law.

4. After stripping, the slabs are stacked into piles outdoors where they remain for at least six months to allow the cork to 'settle'.

5. Most trees can be harvested for up to 150 years. For centuries, cork has mainly been used for wine bottle stoppers though in recent decades it has been used in the construction and fashion industries.

6. And then like a magic pudding, the wonder occurs. After each stripping, the cork oak grows back in a remarkable example of self-regeneration.

Pictures: Kate Armstrong; Shutterstock