Places > Portugal > Alentejo > Evora

Evora

Evora is the capital of the Alentejo region. The main reason backpackers may have heard of it is because some services from Madrid to Lisbon stop here. That doesn't mean you have to.

Starting, as always, with the downsides: Evora is UNESCO listed as being a cute little historic town, but then lots of places are. Sintra is a cute little historic town. Evora is a vaguely sizeable provincial city with bunch of traffic-choked windy streets where there should be a nicely laid-out city centre. It is a little-known fact that the phrase "hardly very lively" was invented especially to describe Evora.

So why might you go there then? Well, for a kick off it's a fairly easy day trip from Lisbon, and gives you the chance to see a bit more of Portugal. Secondly, it isn't really horrible - there are some quite nice things to look at, like the roman temple and the aqueduct. The third reason is that in theory it is a good base for walking or cycling your way around Alentejo. Unfortunately the youth hostel was closed for refurbishments (in February 2006), so that is less the case at the moment.

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How to get there

Arriving By Train.

The train station (Estacion de Ferroviaria) is located about half a kilometre from the town centre. Just walk directly up the Avenida Dr. Barahona and Rua da Republica to get to the main square. Only regional services run to Evora, so you need to change at Casa Branca to get there from Lisbon. Since this takes longer, runs less regularly and costs more than the coach, you probably don't want to do it.

Arriving By Coach.

The coach station (Estacion de Rodoviaria) is located about 200 metres from the town walls. Just turn right out of the exit and follow the road. EVA and Rede Expressos run regular buses from the Mundial Turismo Terminal Rodoviario de Lisboa (main coach station in Lisbon). Consider buying singles instead of a return, since you will then be able to hop onto the first available coach back when you get bored. The journey takes an hour and three quarters or slightly longer, depending on where it stops.

Once you get there.

First things first. Get a map. These can be picked up for free at the tourist office. This is located in the main square. The free map covers the central in adequate detail, and has a list of all the places you could possibly want to visit on the back.

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Communications

Internet

Internet Cafes.

There is an internet cafe just off the main square on the Rua dos Mercadores. This charges 1 euro for 30 minutes, which is pretty much the going rate for internet in Portugal.

Free Internet.

Basic internet access is available at the Instituto Portugues da Juventude, which is located on the Rua da República.

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Accommodation

Hostels

Rede Nacional de Turismo Juvenil would normally run the only hostel in town. Unfortunately that is currently closed for refurbishment.

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Attractions

Evora mostly contains churches, along with a few roman ruins (the temple of Diana is just about worth a look, although there are far better-preserved examples all over Europe), and some nice renaissance stuff - particulary the aqueduct and water tank.

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