Located in the very heart of Portugal, the ancient walled city of Evora rises out of the vast Alentejo plain, 62 kilometres west of the Spanish border.
Evora became a popular residence of the Portuguese Royal Family, but fell out of favour around 1580. It is currently a place with unique attractions, excellent gastronomy and good quality accommodation. It receives thousands of tourists all year long.
Agriculture and mining are important to the zone. Typical regional products are: cork, marble, granite, iron and copper. Archaeologists date the ancient stones near Evora to between 4,000 and 2,000 B.C. There are more than 130 dolmens in the area, including the largest one in Portugal, at Zambujeiro.
The caves at Escoural contain paintings estimated to be 15,000 to 20,000 years old. Only two kilometres from Evora, the Convent of São Bento de Castris was the first Benedictine convent in Portugal, founded in 1274.

Evora is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

- Unmissable visit:
Whilst in Evora, don’t miss a visit to the former Palace of the Archbishop, which currently houses the region’s museum, and to the cathedral in Largo Marquês de Marialva, which was built in 1186 in Romanesque style and was re-built in the 14th century in Gothic style. Remains of the 1st century A.D. Roman walls lie between the palaces of the Dukes of Cadaval and the Counts of Basto. The city walls, dating from the Roman era, are a unique feature in the city. More factoids