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Alentejo - Off the beaten track
Overview
Introduction
We have put together an itinerary staying in some charming properties in locations not on the traditional tourist route yet of equal importance in terms of cultural interest and spending time in nature. The close proximity to the Spanish border also opens up the possibility of exploring two countries instead of just one.
Itinerary includes:
- Return flights to Lisbon Airport
- Car hire
- 3 Nights at The Place at Evoramonte (Bed & Breakfast)
- 3 Nights at Casa Amarela, Castelo de Vide (Bed & Breakfast)
- 3 Nights at Vila Gale Collection Hotel, Elvas (Bed & Breakfast)
Note: On days 4, 5 and 6 during your stay in Castelo de Vide, there are many walking routes in the area. Below are links to some of the marked walking trails.
Long distance path of Castelo de Vide
Walking path through Serra de Sao Paulo
On days 7, 8 and 9 during your stay in Elvas you can visit Adega Mayor winery and Coffee Science Museum. Read more.
Agenda
Day 1 - Day of arrival
On arrival at Lisbon airport, collect your hire car and drive to The Place at Evoramonte in Evoramonte (153km / c.90 minutes).
This small, family-run bed and breakfast is located in the hilltop town of Evoramonte, next to a magnificent medieval castle. There is a cafe-restaurant serving a small selected menu of local and International dishes and two terraces offering uninterrupted valley views. Free parking nearby.
Overnight at The Place at Evoramonte.
The Place at Evoramonte, Evoramonte
Day 2 & 3 - Evoramonte
Evoramonte is a charming hilltop town that offers superb panoramas from its high vantage point. The town itself is small but quite unique with exceptional vistas, a medieval castle, a couple of churches, a fine handicraft shop ‘Celeiro Comum’ that dates back to 1642 and a setting for some memorable sunsets. The location provides an excellent base from which to explore the region: 30 minutes’ drive to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Évora; 20 minutes’ drive to the white city of Estremoz famed for its marble, a castle keep and encircling fortified walls as well as a weekly Saturday market (Rossio Marques de Pombal square) which sells everything from furniture and crafts to food and drink. Other places of interest include the carpet making town of Arraiolos (30mins drive), pottery shops and studios in São Pedro do Corval (20mins), the tall granite stones of Almedres-Cromlech (40mins) - similar to our Stonehenge, and nine castles within 40 minutes’ drive including Evoramonte, Estremoz (20mins), Borba (40mins), Vila Viçosa (30mins), Alandroal (40mins), Redondo (25mins), Valonga (35mins), Evora (30mins) and Arraiolos (30mins). For those who enjoy the outdoors, there are walking and cycling trails as well as olive-oil tasting and visits to wineries and cork factories.
Overnight at The Place at Evoramonte.
Evora
Day 4, 5 & 6 - Castelo de Vide
On day four, set off towards Castelo de Vide (92km / c.75 minutes) to stay at the Casa Amarela, a beautiful listed period property located opposite the main square. Free street parking outside the property. Castelo de Vide has one of the best preserved castles, dating from the 14th century, in Portugal surrounded by whitewashed houses, a medieval Jewish quarter and the oldest synagogue (now a museum) in Europe. It is set on the green slopes of the São Mamede Natural Park, in the north east of the Alentejo close to the Spanish border, and is a place of great biodiversity that is home to wild boars, foxes, rabbits, badgers and rare birds (Bonelli's Eagle, Griffon vultures, hawks, short-toed snake eagles and tawny owls). There are many walking and cycling routes in the area - see the Introduction page for some of the marked walking trails. Take a drive and visit some unmissable places such as Portalegre (20km / c.25 minutes) famed for its Tapestry Museum; the medieval walled town of Marvão (13km / c.20 minutes) perched on a mountain top with superb panoramas of the surrounding landscapes of Portugal and Spain; the Roman archaeological site of Ammaia (9km / c.15 minutes); try some olive oil tasting in Galegos (15km / c.20 minutes) at the local museum; cross the border into Spain to Alcántara (88km / c.75 minutes) to see Trajan’s Roman Bridge spanning the Tagus River and dating back to 104-106 A.D.; and one of Spain’s most remarkable cities, Cáceres (120km / c.95 minutes) - a medieval walled city declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Overnight at Casa Amarela in Castelo de Vide
Castelo de Vide, Alentejo
Day 7, 8 & 9 - Elvas
On day seven, drive to the historic walled town of Elvas (77km / c.70 minutes) to stay at the Vila Gale Collection Hotel. Located within the walls of this UNESCO World Heritage city, the Vila Galé has 79 guest rooms, two restaurants, an outdoor and indoor swimming pool, a spa and cloister with garden area. Elvas is relatively unknown to British travellers as it’s off the beaten track. However it is worth the extra mileage as the city has much to offer and is growing in popularity. This fortified town has a magnificent Aqueduct spanning 7km, a medieval Castle, ancient walls encircling the city and two defensive hilltop forts strategically positioned closeby. For wine connoisseurs and coffee addicts, drive towards Campo Maior (30km / c.35 minutes), just north of Elvas, to the Adega Mayor - a modern winery, and the Centro de Ciencia do Café (Coffee Science Museum) - where you can learn and taste Delta Coffee, Portugal’s leading coffee distributor. Both enterprises are located opposite one another, just north of Campo Maior, so it’s worth buying a combined ticket (c. 6 Euros per person locally) and having a tour of both - you won’t be disappointed. Read more details on the link on the Introduction page. Other activities in the area range from cycling and hiking to visiting castles, cork factories and olive oil mills. Elvas’ location, close to the Spanish border, offers easy access to an area of castles, historic towns, places of cultural interest and natural parks. Head to Badajoz (20km / c.30 minutes) to see the Arab Alcazaba (fortress); visit Mérida (82km / c.1 hour), a model Roman city which has many ancient sites including a Roman amphitheatre, a Roman bridge spanning 792m across the Guadiana River, temples, an Islamic fortress built over the Roman walls and a fascinating museum of Roman antiquities. A visit to Extremadura is not complete without visiting the towns of Trujillo (170km / c.95 minutes) and Cáceres (109km / c.90 minutes). Trujillo has a magnificent main square ‘Plaza Major’ complete with a bronze statue of its most famous resident, Francisco Pizarro, one of the new world explorers who conquered Peru in 1532. Cáceres is a fantastic blend of Roman, Islamic Gothic and Renaissance architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage site not to be missed.
Overnight at Vila Gale Collection Hotel in Elvas
Elvas
Day 10 - Day of departure
After breakfast, drive to Lisbon airport for your return flight to the UK (208km / c.2 hours). Note: If you wish to be closer to the airport on your last night, then we can arrange for you to drop off your car at the airport on Day 9 and spend one night in Lisbon.
Accommodation
The Place at Evoramonte - Night 1 to 3
This warm and friendly property is located within the walls of the hilltop town of Evoramonte, practically next door to the magnificent castle.
This warm and friendly property is located within the walls of the hilltop town of Evoramonte, practically next door to the magnificent castle.
The owners, Mitch and Vicki, searched high and low for just the right spot to open a traditional bed and breakfast property and settled on the charming town of Evoramonte in 2017. The cafe/restaurant, which is managed by Vicki and the food prepared by Mitch, was added in 2018 and has two delightful terraces with stunning panoramic valley views and the perfect spot from which to enjoy the fabulous sunsets.
The guest rooms are cosy and modern and have either a private or shared balcony. There is no TV in the guestrooms as this is the perfect place to get away from the noise and bustle of the big cities and simply to enjoy nature.
Evoramonte is well located in the middle of everything that the Alentejo has to offer. There is plenty to see and do in the immediate vicinity, from the UNESCO World heritage town of Evora to the south to the historic white city of Estremoz to the north. Activities range from cycling, hiking and birdwatching to visiting castles, cork factories and wineries. If you simply want to rest and unwind then that is also an option.
Accommodation
- 4 air-conditioned units composed of standard rooms and a suite
Amenities/Leisure
- Continental buffet breakfast
- Cafe/restaurant serving a small selected menu of local and International dishes for lunch and dinner. The terraces offer incredible uninterrupted valley views. Closed Mondays.
- Cosy lounge (snug) with Portuguese tiles and panoramic view
- Games available (UNO, cards, chess and scrabble)
- Tea and coffee corner in the snug, open all day (free of charge)
- The whole property is non-smoking
- Free parking nearby
Places of interest close-by:
Casa Amarela - Night 4 to 6
The stylish main square of Castelo de Vide, dating back from the 17th and 18th centuries, is surrounded by Baroque buildings and is the location of the Casa Amarela.
The stylish main square of Castelo de Vide, dating back from the 17th and 18th centuries, is surrounded by Baroque buildings and is the location of the Casa Amarela. Beautifully restored, this 19th century building, dating from the French invasion of the town, is in an ideal location from which to explore the centre and offers a variety of comfortable rooms with either square or mountain view. This charming manor house is personally managed by the owner Victor Guimaraes and his family.
Castelo de Vide, at 850m above sea level, is of Roman origin but it is probably best known for the large Jewish quarter which existed in the middle ages. In the old Jewish quarter of the town, nothing seems to have changed since those times, with cobbled streets, whitewashed houses and mysterious Gothic doorways. One can explore pretty squares, the oldest synagogue in Portugal and, of course, the 14th century castle overlooking the town.
Accommodation
- 11 air-conditioned rooms including standard rooms and two suites
Amenities/Leisure
- Continental buffet breakfast
- Comfortable lounge
- Courtesy bar with homemade liquors (free of charge)
- Complimentary WiFi throughout the hotel
- Lift
- Free parking in the town square
- Free use of the public swimming pool (400m)
- Excellent location for exploring the town and the surrounding countryside on foot
- Peal of church bells, every half hour around the clock, can be heard from the main square
- A lively market takes place in the town square in front of the hotel every Friday
- Lively market on the last Friday of each month
- Annual Medieval Festival (September) takes place in the main square
- Restaurant ‘Casa do Parque’ (300m) serves excellent local dishes for lunch and dinner
Minimum stay: 2 nights
Vila Gale Collection Hotel Elvas - Night 7 to 9
Located within the walls of the historical centre of Elvas, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site, Vila Galé Collection Hotel was opened in June 2019 and is housed in the former 17th century Convent of São Paulo that was also previously a military court and barracks. The new hotel came about through the Portuguese government’s rehabilitation program ‘Revive’ which aims to seek the redevelopment of landmark properties that have fallen into disuse and to give them a new lease of life.
Located within the walls of the historical centre of Elvas, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site, Vila Galé Collection Hotel was opened in June 2019 and is housed in the former 17th century Convent of São Paulo that was also previously a military court and barracks. The new hotel came about through the Portuguese government’s rehabilitation program ‘Revive’ which aims to seek the redevelopment of landmark properties that have fallen into disuse and to give them a new lease of life.
This elegant hotel offers 79 guest rooms, two restaurants, an outdoor and indoor swimming pool, a spa and cloister with garden area. The walls are decorated with works of art on loan from the local museums including portraits, landscapes and ancient crucifixes. Mannequins display the elaborate costumes worn throughout 18th century Portugal.
Elvas is located in the far east of the country close to the Spanish border. This historic and perfectly preserved town has a magnificent Aqueduct extending a distance of 7km and consisting of 843 arches. It is the largest bulwarked fortification in the world and when viewed from the air its defensive structures form the shape of a star. There’s plenty to see and do here from visiting the medieval Castle - the oldest part of the city, to the Praça da República square where the old Cathedral is located. Apart from the Islamic and Medieval walls and the ring of 17th century walls, there are also the 17th century Forte de Santa Luzia, the 18th century Forte da Graça and three smaller 19th century fortifications – São Mamede, São Pedro and São Domingos worth visiting.
Elvas is perfectly situated to enable visits to many of the sites in the Alentejo region of Portugal as well as many famous sites located over the border in Spain. Activities in the area range from cycling, hiking and birdwatching to visiting castles, cork factories and wineries.
Accommodation
- 79 air-conditioned rooms including standard rooms, triple rooms, family rooms and suites.
Amenities/Leisure
- Buffet continental breakfast
- Restaurant serving buffet or à la carte menu
- Bar with live music on Saturdays - subject to change locally
- Cloister with garden
- Laundry service payable locally
- Complimentary WiFi throughout
- 4 Lifts
- Outdoor swimming pool (150 sqm) open May-Sep
- Spa ‘Satsanga’ (free entry) with gym, sauna, Turkish bath, Swiss shower, indoor pool (32 sqm) and massages (payable locally). The use of a swimming cap in the indoor pool is compulsory.
- Parking garage 7.5 Euros per day (payable locally) or free public parking
- 500m to the medieval castle in Elvas
Places of interest close-by: 40 minutes’ drive to Estremoz; 50 minutes’ to Evoramonte; 1 hour drive to Evora; 1 hour 5 minutes’ drive to Arraiolos (carpet making town); 1 hour drive to Azaruja (cork factory); 1 hour drive to Monsaraz; 1 hour drive to São Pedro do Corval (pottery shops); 1 hour 15 minutes’ drive to Almedres-Cromlech (stonehenge equivalent); 9 castles including Evoramonte (50mins), Estremoz (40mins), Borba (30mins), Vila Viçosa (35mins), Alandroal (40mins), Redondo (46mins), Valonga (35mins), Evora (1hr) and Arraiolos (1hr 5mins). Easy access to places of interest in Spain: 20km (30mins) to Badajoz; 82km (1hr) to Merida; 170km (1hr 36mins) to Trujillo; 109km (1hr 30mins) to Caceres.