Circuits · Alentejo

Quiet Alentejo

Whitewashed hill towns, megaliths, star-filled skies and long lunches with Alentejo wine.

5 days14 stopsÉvora 1 night · Monsaraz 1 night · Marvão 2 nightsCar recommended
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Aerial view of the whitewashed hilltop village of Monsaraz and the Alentejo plain

Photo: Vitor Oliveira, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

DAY 1

Évora · Arraiolos

Night: Évora
1

Roman Temple and Évora Centre

A World Heritage city: Roman temple, Praça do Giraldo and whitewashed streets.

2hFreeSpring and autumn (very hot in summer)
↓ a few minutes on foot
2

Évora Cathedral (Sé de Évora)

A fortress-like cathedral; climb up to the roof for views over the plain.

45 minPaidAll year
↓ a few minutes on foot
3

Chapel of Bones (Capela dos Ossos)

A chapel lined with human bones, bearing the warning «We bones that are here await yours».

30 minPaidAll year
↓ ≈ 20 min by road · 18 km
4

Almendres Cromlech (Cromeleque dos Almendres)

A circle of almost 100 standing stones, older than Stonehenge.

45 minFreeAll year; sunset
↓ ≈ 30 min by road · 26 km
5

Arraiolosoptional

A village known for its hand-embroidered rugs, with a round castle.

45 minFreeAll year
DAY 2

Reguengos de Monsaraz · Alqueva

Night: Monsaraz
6

Monsaraz

A walled village above Alqueva, with streets of schist and whitewash. Stay on for the sunset.

1h30FreeAll year
↓ ≈ 5 min by road · 3 km
7

Monsaraz River Beach (Praia fluvial de Monsaraz)

A beach on the largest artificial lake in Western Europe.

2hFreeSummer
↓ ≈ 5 min by road · 5 km
8

Stargazing at Alqueva

The world's first Dark Sky destination: guided telescope sessions.

2h (at night)Paid (booking needed)All year (moonless nights)
↓ ≈ 15 min by road · 15 km
9

Wine Tasting at a Herdade (wine estate)

Alentejo wines on an estate set among vineyards and cork-oak woodland (montado).

1h30Paid (booking needed)All year
DAY 3

Estremoz · Vila Viçosa

Night: Marvão
10

Estremoz

A white marble town with a castle and the Saturday market in the Rossio square.

1h30FreeAll year (market on Saturdays)
↓ ≈ 25 min by road · 22 km
11

Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa (Paço Ducal)optional

Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, in a marble town.

1h30PaidAll year
DAY 4

Marvão · Castelo de Vide

Night: Marvão
12

Marvão

A village perched on a clifftop at 860 m, with views all the way to Spain. The sunset is not to be missed.

2hCastle: paidSpring and autumn
↓ ≈ 10 min by road · 10 km
13

Castelo de Vide

The «Sintra of the Alentejo»: a medieval Jewish quarter, the Fonte da Vila fountain and flower-filled streets.

1h30FreeAll year
DAY 5

Elvas

Night: Return
14

Elvas Fortificationsoptional

The largest bastioned fortification in the world, a World Heritage Site, plus the Amoreira Aqueduct.

2hForts: paidAll year