Alcains is a small town a few kilometres north of Castelo Branco, in the Beira Baixa region of central Portugal. Tucked between gentle streams — with the Líria the main watercourse — the town sits in a quiet agricultural landscape typical of the interior Alentejo borderlands.
The settlement has ancient roots. Roman roads passed through the area, and the name Alcains itself is of Arabic origin, thought to derive from a word meaning "existing" or "permanent" — a trace of the Moorish occupation that shaped much of this part of Portugal. It is a workaday place rather than a tourist destination, but serves as a convenient stop when exploring the wider Castelo Branco district.