Évora, Portugal, is a tiny delight within ancient walls. Many people try to do it as a day trip from Lisbon, but it has enough points of interest to merit at least a full day and a half. If you have time to slow down and wander, here are some suggestions for wonderful things to do in Évora.

Day 1 in Évora: Medieval Streets and Roman Ruins

Houses in Yellow and White

Start off by wandering the narrow streets.

While most of the buildings have been painted in Évora’s trademark yellow and white, you’ll find surprising splashes of color as you walk.

Évora remains partially enclosed by medieval walls, so it’s easy to stay within its bounds. We ended up strolling along the old aqueduct for a long way, and later learned that it once carried water over seventeen kilometers from nearby lakes and rivers. This enormous building project took six years to complete, and it’s an impressive sixteenth-century piece of construction.

The Square at the Heart of Town

Once you’ve taken a look at the outer edge of the town, head into the central plaza: Giraldo Square.

It’s worth sitting and having a drink here just to take in the scene before you walk over to admire the eight-spouted Baroque fountain.

From here, it’s just a few steps to the sixteenth-century Santo Antão Church (it was closed during our visit, but word has it that it’s worth popping in if the doors are open).

For lunch, we would recommend visiting O Gandim. Their dogfish soup (cação) is out of this world, and the view from the tables at the front isn’t half bad.

The Romans in Évora

In the afternoon, it’s time to explore all things Roman! First you’ll want to make your way to Casa de Burgos, which is home to the Direção Regional de Cultura do Alentejo . The good news is that seeing the ruins here is free … but the bad news is that they are not at all labeled and hard to find (you have to go through a room, across a courtyard, and up and down some stairs to find them). But if you make it, so you can see ruins of both the original Roman wall (which dates back to the third century) and of an aristocrat’s house.

Then it’s time to head to one of Évora’s most famous landmarks: the Roman Temple.

This temple has gone through many changes since it was first built sometime around the first century CE in honor of Emperor Augustus (among other things, it has served as a butcher shop). But the columns, their bases, and the main beams at the top are all original.

Now it’s time to wander over to the Jardim Diana, the small park that sits just opposite the temple. You’ll want to make sure to walk all the way to the wall for a view out over the rooftops.

A Gory Coat of Arms

Along the way, don’t miss the chance to stop in the middle of the park at the statue of Francisco Eduardo de Barahona Fragoso. The point here isn’t just to see the great philanthropist — it’s to look at the plaque held by the woman who kneels at his feet.

That’s a man riding on horseback with sword, holding two heads, and that’s one rendition of Évora’s coat of arms. I’ve heard different stories (one about the Inquisition; another about tricking a woman into opening the city gates), but it seems conclusive that this is a portrayal of a Christian conqueror holding the head of one Moorish man and one Moorish woman. It’s a pretty gruesome and problematic way to assert your city’s greatness, but it’s all over the place. If you stand in the Jardim Diana and look down over the wall, you’ll find another rendition, this one with tiny arches framing the heads.

Shopping and Eating in Évora

After the park, it’s time to amble back in the direction of the central square to have a cone at Fábrica dos Gelados.

From here, there’s plenty to do in the way of shopping. Évora is an excellent place to buy souvenirs made of cork; we also enjoyed the Fonte de Letras bookstore.

For dinner, you’ll need reservations to get into Taberna Típica Quarta-feira. And wow … what a restaurant. There’s no menu; you eat what you’re brought, and we’re pretty sure we had twenty-three separate items. Here’s course number one — melon soup, olives, bread, and a warm puffed pastry stuffed with cheese and jam. It only got more intense (much more intense) from there. If you go, take it slowly!

Day 2: A Morning at the Great Cathedral

The Largest Medieval Cathedral in Portugal

Start the next morning at Évora‘s Romanesque-and-Gothic Cathedral.

Mainly built in the 1200s and 1300s, the Évora Cathedral is said to be the largest medieval cathedral in Portugal.

The cathedral boasts some excellent art, including the Gothic statues that flank the main entrance, an unusual figure of a pregnant Virgin Mary …

… and a fresco above the baptistry depicting a surprisingly female-looking Christ being baptized.

Évora From the Rooftops

If you pay for a ticket, you can go up on the roof …

… which offers terrific views of the surrounding area …

… and then down to the Gothic cloisters.

If you visit the cloisters, make sure to take the tiny spiral stairs up to the second floor. This will give you more great views through the battlement-like walls:

Cathedral Art Surprises

But what you really want to do is look for the tiny plaque hanging in a corner that has a different version of the town’s coat of arms — this one has the two beheaded heads floating pretty happily in the air.

This plaque also hangs right next to it — I have no idea what it is, but it amuses me.

To finish off your morning, most people will probably want to go to the seventeenth-century Chapel of Bones. We opted out of seeing this small skull-and-bone-covered space (too creepy!), but it’s a highlight of many people’s Évora journey. And what a way to end your visit!

Bonus Activities Near Évora

Convento do Espinheiro: A Spectacular Chapel

If you’re willing to venture just a bit outside of Évora, it’s well worth visiting the fifteenth-century Convento do Espinheiro. It’s now a hotel, but you can visit the chapel (which was repainted in the early nineteenth century) for free.

The convent is only an eight-minute drive from town, and it has spectacular azulejos (blue tiles) that feature the life of Saint Jerome.

Estremoz: Portuguese Village Life

For a very different kind of trip, pay a visit to the small town of Estremoz.

This is a great way to see a real Portuguese village, generally free of tourists and only twenty-five minutes away from Évora. We had an excellent lunch at Larau (try the broken eggs or the asparagus with scrambled eggs). If you’re lucky enough to be there on a Saturday morning, you can also enjoy perusing the wares on sale at the weekly Estremoz market.

Headed toward Óbidos next? Read my guide to the town of the queens.

Exploring more of central Portugal? Don’t miss my post on the country’s best monastery trio: Alcobaça, Batalha, and Tomar.