There are many things to do in Evora, but we have selected some of them. Evora is one of the jewels of Portugal, located in the Alentejo region, full of architectural and cultural works, with many beautiful places and highlights.
The location of this place you will find in Google Maps. It’s a museum city, surrounded by a wall, considered a world heritage by Unesco in 1986. The city of Evora was founded in 1166, with its roots dating back to Roman times. It lived its golden age in the 16th century when it was the residence of Portuguese kings. It has just over 50,000 inhabitants and is one of the richest monuments in Portugal.
One of the main highlights of Evora Portugal is the Capela dos Ossos, with its walls decorated with human bones. Other important attractions are the Cathedral of Evora, the Água de Prata Aqueduct, and the Roman ruins. A timeless city in Alentejo, Evora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site steeped in Roman and medieval heritage. The list of the top 10 things to do in Evora Portugal is below:
1. Evora Roman Temple
At the highest point of the city, where the ancient forum of Evora once stood, could be the largest Roman monument in Portugal. This Corinthian temple was built in the 1st century and would likely have been dedicated to Diana.
Temple of Diana, it is located in the city of Evora, in Portugal; it forms part of the historic center of the city, which has been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Roman temple is classified as a National Monument by the DGPC.
2. Chapel of the Bones of Evora
This is one of the most interesting and famous sights in Evora. The Chapel of Bones is located inside the São Francisco Church and was built in the 17th century by three monks who wanted to convey the idea that “at some point, death will arrive”. The plaque in the chapel explains this: “We bones that are here, for yours await”. The walls are literally “decorated” with human bones and skulls.
3. Church of São Francisco
The Church of São Francisco was built between 1480 and 1510 following the Gothic-Manueline architecture. Its decoration is totally linked to the periods of Portuguese discoveries and maritime expansions. The convent of São Francisco was the first house of the Franciscan Order in Portugal, founded in the 12th century. Among the various chapels that the church has, the most visited and known is the Capela dos Ossos, one of the main tourist attractions in Evora that we mentioned.
4. Giraldo Square in Evora
The main square of Evora was built in the 16th century and, at that time, it was the scene of the court of the Spanish Inquisition, which handed out thousands of brutal sentences here. On a lighter note, it also boasts Fonte Henrique marble, on the same site as a 16th-century fountain built to commemorate the Agua Prata aqueduct.
There are eight spouts in the fountain, each for one of the streets that branch out from the square. The north side is occupied by the impressive façade of the Church of Santo Antão, while on the east side there is a continuous arcade, hiding cafes and specialty shops.
5. The Noble House
Along with Portuguese kings, the court moved to Evora in the 1400s and 1500s, giving the city many distinguished homes to see as you worked around. See the Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval, which has towers that form part of the city walls and interiors that you can enter, decorated with period furniture and paintings.
The Palace of Condes de Basto is attached to the Roman walls and stands out for its loggia and Moorish-style horseshoe-shaped window arches.
6. Silver Water Aqueduct
One of the most striking sights around Evora is this 16th-century aqueduct, channeling water into the city for almost 20 kilometers. Theory goes that this Renaissance structure follows the same course as the original Roman aqueduct and incorporates some of its stones. In the residential areas of Evora, houses were built on arches. When it ended, in 1537, there was a great ceremony held in Praça do Giraldo, in which King D. João III and his court participated. It is one of the most beautiful places in Evora from the list of plenty of beautiful places there.
7. Convent of Santa Clara
The Convent of Santa Clara in Evora this former religious house of Poor Clare nuns was founded in the 16th century by the then Bishop of Evora, D. Vasco Perdigão, presenting some characteristics that individualized.
At the time, the various religious houses of Alentejo, as is the case from the picturesque lacy windows of the towers/lookouts.
The church now has a Baroque appearance (gilded carving and tiles from the 18th century), as well as beautiful mural paintings at the top of the nave and in the two choirs.
8. Evora Cathedral
The Sé Cathedral was founded in the 12th century and is considered the largest medieval cathedral in Portugal. The architecture is in the Gothic style, with two asymmetrical towers at the entrance and a passage between them that shows the figures of the twelve apostles, Portuguese Gothic sculptures. It is one of the main tourist attractions in Evora that cannot be left out of your itinerary.
9. Cromlechs of Almendres
The Almendres Cromlech in Evora is nothing less than a circle of oval stones that can reach up to three meters in height, consisting of 95 stone monoliths, belonging to the city’s megalithic era. The set was discovered in 1964, while mapping work was being carried out for the Geological Map of Portugal. The Cromlech dos Almendres stands at the top of a slope that is about 400 m high, 12 km from Evora.
10. Lóios Convent
This convent dates back to the 1400s and was built on the ruins of a medieval castle. Some of the monastic buildings, including the refectory and monks’ cells, have been turned into an inn. You can go inside to explore the church, which is much richer than its facade makes it out to be. That’s because the exterior had to be remodeled after the devastating earthquake of 1755. For more travel articles about Portugal check this category and for all articles about Europe check this list.
Top 10 Things to do in Evora Portugal
- Evora Roman Temple
- Chapel of the Bones of Évora
- Church of São Francisco
- Giraldo Square in Évora
- Noble Houses
- Silver Water Aqueduct
- Convent of Santa Clara
- Évora Cathedral
- Cromlechs of Almendres
- Loios Convent