Évora
Once part of the Roman Forum, the remains of this temple, dating from the 2nd or early 3rd century AD, are a heady slice of drama right in town. It's…
Must-see attractions in The Alentejo
Évora
One of Évora’s most popular sights is also one of its most chilling. The walls and columns of this mesmerising memento mori (reminder of death) are lined…
Baixo Alentejo
Beja's must-see attraction is set in a 15th-century Franciscan convent and the backdrop to an unlikely romance between a nun and soldier that inspired…
Cais Palafítico da Carrasqueira
The Alentejo
Built in the 1950s and 1960s, this ramshackle, zigzagging, interlocking pier on wooden stilts is one of Europe's last surviving of its kind. At sunset, it…
Alto Alentejo
The dukes of Bragança built their palace in the early 16th century when the fourth duke, Dom Jaime, grew tired of his uncomfortable hilltop castle. The…
Alto Alentejo
This excellent little Roman museum lies between Castelo de Vide and Marvão in São Salvador de Aramenha. From São Salvador head 700m south along the…
Évora
Set within a beautiful landscape of olive and cork trees stands this huge, spectacular oval of standing stones, 15km west of Évora. It is the Iberian…
Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana
Mértola
Created in 1995, this zone of hills, plains and deep valleys around Serpa and Mértola shelters the Rio Guadiana, one of Portugal’s largest and most…
Alto Alentejo
The formidable castle, built into the rock at the western end of the village, dates from the end of the 13th century, but most of what you see today was…
Évora
The Great Dolmen of Zambujeiro, 13km southwest of Évora, is Europe’s largest dolmen. Under a huge sheet-metal protective shelter in a field of wildflowers…
Évora
Guarded by a pair of rose granite towers, Évora’s fortress-like medieval cathedral has fabulous cloisters and a museum jam-packed with ecclesiastical…
Museu da Tapeçaria de Portalegre Guy Fino
Alto Alentejo
If there’s one thing you must visit in Portalegre, it’s this splendid museum. Opened in 2001, it contains brilliant contemporary creations from Portalegre…
Monsaraz
Offers two-hour open-air sessions taking in the marvellous star-filled skies of the Alentejo. You'll get an overview of constellations visible with the…
Évora
Around 27km west of Èvora, the Escoural Caves contain several cave paintings and rock carvings that date back more than 13,000 years. One-hour guided…
Évora
The former Convento dos Lóios, to the right of Igreja de São João, has elegant Gothic cloisters topped by a Renaissance gallery. A national monument, the…
Alto Alentejo
Looming high over the arid countryside, about 3km north of town, this old military fort has a commanding presence. From the castelo, the fort is just…
Alto Alentejo
At the top of the upper town is the stark, glowing-white, fortress-like former royal palace, now the Pousada de Rainha Santa Isabel. Dom Dinis built the…
Évora
The small, fabulous Igreja de São João, which faces the Templo Romano, was founded in 1485 by one Rodrigo Afonso de Melo, count of Olivença and the first…
Mértola
Mértola’s striking parish church – square, flat-faced and topped with whimsical little conical decorations – is known because in a former incarnation it…
Évora
Jutting into the town from the northwest is the beguilingly named Aqueduto da Água de Prata, designed by Francisco de Arruda (better known for Lisbon’s…
Mértola
Above the parish church looms Mértola’s fortified castle, most of which dates from the 13th century. It was built upon Moorish foundations next to an…
Museu de Arqueologia & Museu de Caça
Alto Alentejo
Inside the historic castelo looming above Vila Viçosa is an intriguing collection of relics, plus some less appealing animal skins and assorted taxidermy…
Mértola
This site contains the ruins of what was once a thriving Islamic neighbourhood. Some 20 dwellings were here, each with a classic Mediterranean layout – a…
Baixo Alentejo
The lovely, shady Jardim Dr Santiago, at the eastern end of Praça Sacadura Cabral, is a delightful place. There are good views, a bandstand and shady,…
Évora
The city’s main square has seen some potent moments in Portuguese history, including the 1483 execution of Fernando, Duke of Bragança; the public burning…
Alto Alentejo
Reopened in 2009 after being converted into a museum, the site comprises the original synagogue – two rooms (one for women and one for men), a wooden…
Baixo Alentejo
The castle offers fabulous views across the countryside. One of the towers is the last remnant of a Moorish fortress. Rebuilt by Dom Dinis in the 13th…
Évora
Adjacent to the cathedral, in what used to be the archbishop’s palace (built in the 16th century), is this elegant museum. The cloistered courtyard…
Alto Alentejo
Originally Castelo de Vide’s inhabitants lived within the castle’s sturdy outer walls; even now there remains a small inner village with a church, the…
Mértola
Next to the alcáçova (citadel), this interpretation centre is an accurately sized replica of an Islamic residence dating from the 12th century. Key…
Alto Alentejo
This museum is housed in a beautiful 17th-century almshouse near the former palace. Pretty hand-painted furniture sits alongside endearing, locally carved…
Alto Alentejo
Just southeast of the castle, the Igreja de Santa Maria provides graceful surroundings for this one-room museum. Its renovated exhibition hall offers a…
Évora
For a lovely tranquil stroll, head to the light-dappled public gardens (with a small outdoor cafe) south of the Igreja de São Francisco. Inside the walls…
Évora
Just northwest of the Igreja de São João is the 17th-century facade of a much older palace and castle, as revealed by the two powerful square towers that…
Monsaraz
Housed inside a fine Gothic building beside the parish church, this museum includes a rare example of a 14th-century secular fresco. The striking work…
Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Elvas
Alto Alentejo
A must-see if the right exhibition is showing. Opened in 2007, the museum is housed in a cleverly renovated baroque-style building from the 1700s,…
Évora
The artist Tiago Cabeça has created this wondrous miniature world of Portugal moulded in clay and peopled with humorous and irreverent characters. You'll…
Alto Alentejo
For an alternative view of Portugal, take a guided tour through an abandoned cork factory, winding through a warren of rooms where old machinery lies…
Baixo Alentejo
A small one-of-a-kind jewellery museum dedicated to the fascinating works of the avant-garde artist Alberto Gordillo. On display are around 50 pieces,…
Núcleo Museológico da Rua do Sembrano
Baixo Alentejo
This modern museum contains more than meets the eye – the exhibition is underfoot and displayed through a glass floor. Iron Age finds were discovered here…
