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Places to visit in the Algarve, Portugal
Evora - Capital of the Alentejo
Travelling to the Algarve, most visitors use the frequent air services and arrive at Faro, when, in another hour, they can be almost anywhere along the beautiful Algarve coast.
 However for those who don't like flying, or need to transport homemaking materials to furnish that new apartment or villa, there is the ferry or tunnel to France, or the ferries to Bilbao or Santander. Either way, be prepared for the two day drive through France, Northern Spain and down through Portugal, or a long, one day drive from the Spanish ports.
There are compensations of course, and one is to have a break and pull in an overnight stay in one of the most impressive and enjoyable cities in Portugal, Evora. (It's about 230 miles North of Lagos, and although the round trip could be done in day, you won't have the time to see the many attractions this city has to offer - book an overnight stay, you're on holiday - enjoy it! ).
 Evora is still the market town of the Alentejo and a thriving produce market takes place once a month but it is the many monuments, arches, aqueducts, shady gardens and magnificent churches and cathedral which draw the visitor deeper into the old walled city.
Finding accommodation in Evora is easy. There are a number of the large hotel chains represented and these are easy to find thanks to the direction boards posted at each road junction around the outskirts of the city. Possibly the most  attractive hotel in Evora is the Pousada. This magical place, converted from the “Dos Loios monastery" in 1965, looks quite small when approaching the main entrance and parking in front is limited. Inside, however, the space is majestic. The dining room is the old cloisters which have been “glass walled” and dining here, looking out over the courtyard, is one of those “experiences” which are long remembered. The rooms are converted from the monks' cells but are furnished in a far more comfortable way.
The Pousada is right in the centre of Evora and a great place to start your exploration. Right outside are the remains of the 2nd century Roman temple and a useful landmark if you get disorientated walking through the narrow, cobbled Moorish streets.
 There are so many churches to see, and the ornate and rich decoration defies description. One of the most magnificent is the Igreja de Sao Francisco, not just for the church itself but for the adjoining Capela dos Ossos. There is a helpful audio commentary on how and why this chapel was built but even hearing this, it is difficult to comprehend how someone could have the notion of building a chapel with bones. Yes, real bones, skeletons, dug up from the surrounding land when the chapel was built. You have to see this to believe it; 5000 skulls alone make up the window sills, thousands of leg and arm bones laid horizontally and held together with mortar make up the walls and pillars and the inscription over the arch reminds us all of our own mortality.
 Enough of this, time for a drink and a meal. There are literally dozens of quality cafes and restaurants and the food is good and reasonably priced. The Praca do Giraldo has some of the best, where pavement tables give you the opportunity to become part of the heart of the city while dining. Although the English language is less well known in this area, most restaurants have an English translation of the menu and the staff are eager to help and very patient.
Back on the sightseeing trail, it is interesting to note that the ancient city wall is almost complete and has been well restored with garden walks and shady areas, most having a small outdoor snack bar. The cathedral with its battlement towers, grand porch and central window is  worth a look, as is the nearby museum, which was once the bishop's palace. The Ermida de Sao Bras just outside the city wall, with its tubular turrets and crenulated roofline is a stark contrast in architecture to the later flamboyant style of Diogo de Boitaca whose buildings dominate Lisbon.
A short drive from Evora is the Portuguese “Stonehenge”. At Almindres, near Guadaloupe, is a 3 metre tall menhir (monolith) and further up the hill, through cork groves with the most outstanding displays of wild flowers you will ever see, are the megalithic stone  circles, the cromeleque dos Almindros. Although not as tall as Stonehenge, the 92 stones of different shapes and size (some of which have carvings) and the complex patterns and circles are amazing. The site is popular with school parties so don't be surprised to see toppled stones acting as picnic tables or the boundaries of an al fresco classroom.
Whatever you want, be it history, modern shops, pavement cafes or the purchase of a colourful Almindres carpet, you will find it at Evora. It's one of those places that you never have time to take it all in. It's a place to return to, an excuse to break that journey - well worth the visit.
Would you like more suggestions? Take a look at our Things to do in the Algarve and Places to go in the Algarve sections for loads of ideas of what to do and where to go
click below to see our full property portfolio
villas apartments hotels pousadas selected hotels
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