Wonders of Évora
UNESCO as a World Heritage Site
One of Portugal’s most beautifully and well preserved medieval walled town, classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1986. Inside the 14th century walls, Évora’s maze of narrow streets reveals a superb architecture and cultural heritage that’s been preserved throughout the centuries, among which, an outstanding cathedral with a creepy human bone chapel and a Roman temple.
The magical essence of this region goes even further, and surprises us with an extremely rich gastronomy and excellent wines. Most dishes are quite basic consisting on simple ingredients such as bread, pure olive oil and a lot of garlic. Among the most traditional delicacies from the region are lamb stew, several types of breadcrumb dishes, bread and fish soup, combining perfectly with the full-bodied and fruity aroma red wines produced in the region. In the center of town there are two divine and picturesque recommended restaurants, “Fialho” a family owned restaurant founded in 1945, currently on the third generation, featuring a more traditional and rustic homey décor and the sophisticated “Dom Joaquim”, reflecting the owner’s reinvented local cuisine concept, elected as one of the favorite restaurant in town by the locals and winner of several regional and national awards
If are planning to overnight in the region, among several other boutique hotel options is an ancient convent from 14th century. Carefully transformed into a luxurious 5 starts property with a total of 92 rooms varying from modern 50’s art deco to a conventual luxurious decoration, the “Convento to Espinheiro” overwhelms not only for its architecture, but as well for its facilities, including an incredible mix of traditional and unique meeting rooms with capacity up to 450 people, and ancient olive press room, holding private events up to 200 people, 8 hectares of divine gardens and last but not least a magnificent awarded spa, by World Luxury Spa.
Évora also reveals an unexpected radical vein, allowing to combine teambuilding activities such as skydiving from altitudes that can vary between 3000m until 5000m, four wheel adventure at Portugal’s pioneer Kart track, or an exciting horse riding experience across the rolling hills and plains of Alentejo.