When I travel to Europe I like to book a few tours. I find that the history behind all the beautiful churches, cathedrals and buildings makes the experience so much richer. I’ve had pretty good luck with the website GetYourGuide. When planning our trip to Portugal I wanted to see more than just Lisbon but I didn’t want to pack up and move to different towns a lot. So I found a tour that went to Evora.
Evora is the original capital of Portugal before Lisbon became the capitol. Lisbon is where we were staying for the week and is the second oldest in Europe (Athens, Greece is the oldest). This tour was 8 hours long and they picked you up from your hotel in Lisbon and drove you an hour and a half to Evora.
The first stop on our tour was the tiny town of Guadalupe. There are ancient megaliths located all throughout this region. Large stones arranged in circles that correspond with the sun, moon and stars. We discovered that a lot of the megaliths are located on private property, however Portugal has suggested that access to the stones should be public. So a lot of properties have public dirt or gravel roads leading to the ancient stones.
The countryside here was very pretty. Large oak trees are planted so they can harvest the bark for cork.
Interestingly it takes about 30 years for a tree to grow large enough to harvest the bark, and the first 2 harvests are not of high quality. Since harvesting can only be done every 9 years, the trees are marked with numbers and can take up to 45 years to produce quality cork.
You will find all kinds of products in Portugal made with this cork, purses, bags, wallets, hats, even shoes! I of course had to buy a cork purse in Evora. They say that it’s washable but I haven’t tested that out yet.
On to the town of Evora, where one of the largest cathedrals in Portugal is located. The outskirts of the town are surrounded with stones walls. Some built by the Moorish Arabs and some built by the Portuguese after they took the territory back from the Moors. Passing through the walls you get to areas where you can park and from there walk to the center of town. There are many shops and restaurants here to choose from. We decided to visit Pateo for a light lunch. We ordered a salad which was large and fresh dressed simply with vinegar and olive oil as well as a dish made with scrambled eggs, asparagus and cheese. The seating is all on a covered patio and there is plenty of seating and shade.
After lunch we walked around the town marveling at the old buildings and different styles of architecture. Near the center is the ancient Roman temple ruins. This used to be called the Temple of Diana however archeologists discovered that it was not in fact and now it is simply called Roman temple.
From here we walked over to the Chapel of the Bones. The monks would have to dig up skeletons from the cemetery to make room for fresh bodies to be buried. They were supposed to burn the bones but instead they lined the walls, columns and ceiling with the bones, to preserve them and give dignity to souls that used to inhabit them.
The chapel is a bit morbid, but that kind of thing doesn’t bother me as a nurse I’m familiar and comfortable with death.
There is also a museum of sorts here with religious art. Quite a collection of unusual nativity sets are arranged inside.
All in all the tour was very informative and interesting. You could add Evora to your itinerary as it is “on the way” to the southern region of Portugal, the Algarve. If you are renting a car to drive to the Algarve (you won’t need the car in Lisbon itself) you can pass through or spend the night in this cute little village.
For more on Portugal, see my blog posts tab on my blog @ www.TheBeckEffect.com
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