“Évora is, in my eyes, the most beautiful town in Portugal”, says Beatriz, as we meet her and her husband André in Lisbon. Évora, haven’t I been there before, I’m thinking. And remembering that yes: Back in spring 2015, I have been hosted on a foodie trip through Portugal’s Alentejo region, including a stop in Évora. Much too short back then, however, as I realise on this visit.
The magical town Évora, capital city of the Portuguese region Alentejo, offers several chapters of settlement history in one: Roman temples and aqueducts remain next to an imposing cathedral and other well-preserved, medial buildings.
Évora is only about one and a half hours from Lisbon. An easy distance, even for just a day trip out from the capital city.
You may indeed visit all of Évora in a day, as the historic old town itself is rather small – especially when compared to Lisbon. This, however, will in my eyes not allow you to fully appreciate what Évora is all about: Peace, quiet and a lovely, relaxing vibe. Ideally, spend about two nights here. That way, you’ll have a “middle day” with no arrival and departure, allowing you to get lost and wander among the many little streets of the historic old town. Streets that are completely quiet, something we really enjoy after visiting the busy downtown area of Lisbon. We also choose our accommodation to be right inside the old town center, the Pousada de Juventude, offering spacious rooms with balcony and breakfast at really reasonable prices.
The charm of the old town of Évora …
… is palpable at every corner …
… including a nice little city park …
… as well as the aroma of all those lemon and orange trees, bearing ripe fruit now in January.
Can’t miss talking about the gorgeous sunset here, either: View from the balcony of our Posada de Juventude across the old town of Évora.
Évora also means culinary delights from Portugal. As well as an interesting history lesson …
… which we digest quickly, as the attention span of our little #BabyTraveller never lasts that long (Baby Liam is with us on this trip, but seven months old!). We visit the local town museum of Évora, worth the while for its information on the different settlement periods here. Romans, of course, came here first, erecting temples, streets and imposing buildings such as the still remaining aqueduct. The old town further offers an imposing cathedral, towering above the city on its plateau hill and allowing wide open views of the surrounding landscape (people apparently always knew where best to settle).
Then, of course, you have to taste the local area Évora cuisine: Don’t miss the “Porco Preto” (black pig, equal in delicious taste with the Spanish Jamón Ibérico), different meat and veggie stews as well as of course the large variety of fish here in Portugal. You cannot go wrong eating at one of the local restaurants, really ..!
Starting from the Roman Diana temple …
… we walk over to the towering cathedral of Évora …
… love having little Liam on board with us, who is best carried in daddy’s baby sling, as the historic roads inside the old town do not easily lend themselves to strollers …
… delicious dinnertime …
… we even found “Cheesecake” from Évora!
And, of course, on this cold winter morning, some nice waffles with hot chocolate!
See you soon in Évora!
If you still want to dig a little deeper, check out our InstaStories about the whole trip through Portugal (Lisbon, Evora & the Algarve).
Last but not least, I have also made the following short video for you in order to keep you in the loop about how it is to travel with baby, and to share the beauty of Portugal with you: