Évora and the Alentejo, Portugal: things to do, when to go and how to get there

Get to know the place

A region to enjoy
at your own pace.

The Alentejo is the large plain of southern Portugal, with fields of wheat, cork oaks, olive trees and vineyards, and villages of white houses with blue and yellow bands. Évora, the region's main city, is about 130 km east of Lisbon.

Évora's historic center, within the city walls, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986. Within a few blocks are the Templo Romano (1st century), the Gothic Sé, the Capela dos Ossos, the Praça do Giraldo and the Universidade, founded by the Jesuits in 1559. In the surroundings, the Cromeleque dos Almendres gathers prehistoric menhirs that are thousands of years old.

About 50 km away, Monsaraz is a walled medieval village atop a hill, with a castle and views over the Grande Lago Alqueva, one of the largest artificial lakes in Europe. The region is known for its excellent night skies for star-gazing.

The Alentejo is renowned for its cuisine, including porco preto, migas, açorda and regional wines.

This destination brings together 3 cities: Évora, Monsaraz, Elvas.

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One destination, many paths

The cities on this trip

Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.

Where Évora and the Alentejo is

Contornos: Direção-Geral do Território, CAOP 2025, CC BY 4.0. Adaptação do Cidade Turismo.

How to get there: Évora and the Alentejo

✈ Aeroporto Humberto Delgado (LIS), in Lisboa · 135 km to Évora

The nearest airport is Lisbon (LIS), about 135 km from Évora. Check before booking. From Lisbon, the train takes about 1h30 to Évora; by car, via the A2 and A6.

Suggested arrival point: Évora

Évora · Évora and the Alentejo Capital Suggested arrival point

Évora

Alentejo walled city with a historic center listed as a World Heritage site since 1986. Within a few blocks are the Templo Romano, the Sé, the Capela dos Ossos, the Praça do Giraldo and the Universidade, founded in 1559. About 15 km away, the Cromeleque dos Almendres gathers dozens of prehistoric menhirs.

Évora · Évora and the Alentejo

Monsaraz

Walled medieval village on top of a hill, in the concelho of Reguengos de Monsaraz, about 50 km from Évora. It has two main streets of white houses, a church, a castle with a bullring inside the walls, and views over the Grande Lago Alqueva. The region is known for its dark skies, excellent for stargazing.

Portalegre · Évora and the Alentejo

Elvas

Alentejo town in the district of Portalegre, about 12 km from Badajoz in Spain. The star-shaped walls, the forts of Santa Luzia and da Graça and the Aqueduto da Amoreira form the border garrison city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012. Inside the walls lie the Praça da República, the old cathedral, the medieval castle and streets of white houses. It is the last stop in Portugal on the route between Lisbon and Madrid.

The local experience

Things to do in Évora and the Alentejo

Elvas · Portalegre · Monument

Aqueduto da Amoreira

Stone aqueduct of about 8.5 km that carries water from the Amoreira to the center of Elvas, with arcades up to 31 meters high where it reaches the town. Built between the 16th and 17th centuries, it is part of the World Heritage ensemble.

Évora · Évora · Monument

Templo Romano de Évora

1st-century Roman temple, with Corinthian granite columns and marble capitals, at the highest point of the city. It is one of the best-preserved Roman monuments on the Iberian Peninsula.

Monsaraz · Évora · Castle

Vila e Castelo de Monsaraz

Walled medieval village on top of a hill, with schist-paved streets and white houses, and a 13th-century castle that houses a bullring within the walls. The view reaches the Grande Lago Alqueva and Spain.

Elvas · Portalegre · Fortress

Forte de Nossa Senhora da Graça

18th-century fort on the summit of Monte da Graça, north of Elvas, with star-shaped ramparts, a moat, galleries and the Casa do Governador at its center. From the top you can see Elvas, the aqueduct and the plain stretching to Spain.

See 10 more places in Évora and the Alentejo

Évora · Évora · Cathedral

Sé de Évora

Gothic cathedral of the 12th and 13th centuries, the largest medieval cathedral in Portugal, with a cloister, a museum of sacred art and a rooftop terrace overlooking the city and the plain.

Évora · Évora · Church

Capela dos Ossos

17th-century chapel in the Igreja de São Francisco whose walls and columns are covered with human bones and skulls, with the inscription: Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos.

Elvas · Portalegre · Fortress

Forte de Santa Luzia

17th-century star-shaped fort south of Elvas’s walls that withstood the Spanish siege of 1658. It houses a section of the military museum, with rooms on the history of the city's fortifications.

Elvas · Portalegre · Castle

Castelo de Elvas

Medieval castle at the highest point of the old town, built over an Arabic fortress and renovated in subsequent centuries. From the walls the view reaches the city, the forts and the Guadiana plain.

Évora · Évora · Square

Praça do Giraldo

Évora's central square, with arcades, the 1571 marble fountain and the Igreja de Santo Antão, a meeting point in the city and the starting point for the central streets.

Elvas · Portalegre · Square

Praça da República e antiga Sé

Elvas’s main square, with geometric-patterned paving, the former cathedral (Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Assunção) from the 16th century, and the old paço do concelho. It is the starting point for the historic center.

Évora · Évora · University

Universidade de Évora

Former Jesuit college founded in 1559, with a Renaissance cloister and classrooms lined with 18th-century tiles. It still operates as a university and can be visited.

Évora · Évora · Archaeological site

Cromeleque dos Almendres

A group of about 95 granite menhirs erected thousands of years ago on a hillside among cork oaks, about 15 km from Évora. It is one of the largest megalithic enclosures on the Iberian Peninsula.

Elvas · Portalegre · Museum

Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Elvas

Museum of contemporary Portuguese art installed in a former hospital in central Elvas, with the collection of collector António Cachola, featuring Portuguese artists from recent decades.

Elvas · Portalegre · Museum

Museu Militar de Elvas

Museu do Exército installed in a former military complex within the walls of Elvas, with collections of weaponry, uniforms, vehicles and horse-drawn carriages used by the Portuguese Army.

Before you go

Practical information

A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.

When to go

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are usually the best times, with green fields or the grape harvest. In the European summer (June to August), temperatures in the Alentejo often exceed 35 °C. Nights in winter are cold.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

How many days to stay

One day is enough for Évora's center. With two days you can include the Cromeleque dos Almendres and Monsaraz, with a night to see the starry sky.

Which city to stay in

In Évora, the historic center within the walls makes everything walkable. In Monsaraz, the houses inside the village and the traditional Alentejo country houses around it are peaceful options with lake views.

Respect the place

Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.

Get your questions answered

Frequently asked questions about Évora and the Alentejo

Can you do a day trip from Lisbon to Évora?

Yes, by train or car; it's about 1h30. Monsaraz, another ~50 km away, requires a car or an extra day.

Do you need a car in the Alentejo?

Not for Évora. For the Cromeleque dos Almendres and Monsaraz, a car is practically necessary.

Is it very hot in the Alentejo?

In the European summer (June to August) daytime highs often exceed 35 °C. Prefer spring and autumn.

What to eat in the Alentejo?

Black pork (porco preto), migas, açorda, sopa de cação, cheeses and regional wines.

Rotas entre países

Évora and the Alentejo is on the Lisboa–Évora–Mérida–Cáceres–Madri by car

By car between the peninsula's two capitals: Évora's Alentejo, Roman Mérida and medieval Cáceres on the route from Lisboa to Madri.

Illustrated map of Lisboa–Évora–Mérida–Cáceres–Madri by car — Illustrative map, not to scale. Tap a city to open its page.

Explore the Lisboa–Évora–Mérida–Cáceres–Madri by car

Évora and the Alentejo

A region to enjoyat your own pace.