You don't typically see the Alentejo pop up as a must-see tourist destination in Portugal, and honestly, we think you're all missing out! The Alentejo is the largest (and least populated) region in Portugal and within its vast area lies some of the cutest and most undiscovered towns in the country. The Alentejo is the perfect escape from the bustling cities of Lisbon and Porto - prepare to uncover the hidden treasures of this enchanting region, from historic castles and quaint whitewashed towns to sprawling vineyards and cork oak forests.
While we think the best way to explore the Alentejo is by renting a car, you can absolutely still have an amazing time without a car. Check out our itinerary on 3 Nights in Alentejo Without a Car.
Top 3 Must-Do’s for an Alentejo Itinerary
Walk along the roof of the Cathedral of Évora
Walk through the tiny village of Monsaraz
Learn how talha wine is made at Gerações da Talha
Duration: 3 nights
Typical Daily Cost for two people: $302 (excludes any required airfare to/from Lisbon)
Best Time to Go: April, May, September, October
Avoid the Alentejo in the summer (June - August) - it’s insanely hot and overall just not an enjoyable experience.
Check out our other itineraries in Portugal to combine with the Alentejo and create the ultimate Portugal vacation:
Table of Contents
Alentejo Roadtrip: Itinerary at a Glance
Day | Activities |
Day 1 | Pick-up rental car in Lisbon at 11am and drive to the coastal town of Sesimbra for lunch. Explore Évora in the afternoon and climb to the top of the Cathedral for some incredible views. |
Day 2 | Explore the historic towns of Elvas and Monsaraz. |
Day 3 | Picnic and wine tasting day learning all about “talha” wines. |
Day 4 | Drive back to Lisbon in the morning. |
Just the Facts
Stay
While there’s lots of towns to explore in the Alentejo, we highly recommend you base yourself in Evora - stay within the walled portion of the Old Town. Évora has tons of great Airbnb options that you can usually get for under 100 euros a night for 2 people. If you have a car, make sure to park it outside the walled portion of town, there’s several free public parking lots just outside the walls.
If you're looking for something more upscale, there are several options a short drive from Évora that offer a more relaxing ambiance:
Convento do Espinheiro: Beautiful hotel set in a 15th century convent, just a few minutes from Évora with a restaurant onsite.
Octant Évora: Spa hotel set in the countryside with tons of nature to explore and a restaurant onsite.
Eat - Dinner
We recommend making a reservation the week before for all dinner restaurants listed. Traditional Alentejo cuisine is focused more on stewed meats, especially pork:
Tua Madre: Farm to table Italian restaurant (yes, we said Italian) and our overall favorite restaurant in Évora. Menu changes every week based on what ingredients are available. Great natural wine list.
Taberna Sal Grosso: We'd call this reimagined Portuguese food—they take traditional Portuguese dishes and put their own modern twist on it, and it's delicious! There's only a few tables here, so be sure to make a reservation. Order the beef tartare and asparagus/mushrooms with truffle.
TascaTosca: Traditional Alentejo food, right next to Tua Madre. Nice outdoor seating. Get the grilled chorizo and cheese to start, then the baked octopus. This is also a good lunch spot.
Botequim da Mouraria: Great lunch spot with traditional cuisine. Note, there are only 11 seats in the whole place and no reservations, so get there early!
O Templo: Very traditional Alentejo restaurant. The owner has quite the personality!
Taberna Típica Quarta-feira: Another very traditional Alentejo restaurant
Alegrias e Vinho Tinto Botequim: Small family-run restaurant with traditional cuisine.
Eat - Lunch
Tasca Do Isaías (Sesimbra): Grilled fish, very crowded traditional restaurant so get there early (12:30pm) for lunch. Tables are family style so you may be dining with others - it’s all part of the fun!
Pintarola (Sesimbra): Grilled fish, make sure to sit outside
Adega Regional (Elvas): Traditional Alentejo cuisine
Map
Detailed Alentejo Itinerary
Day 1: Sesimbra & Évora
Alentejo is all about exploring the historic towns, so we recommend basing yourself in Évora to be the most centrally located for the rest of the trip - Évora is super walkable and has tons of great restaurants. Lucky for you, Évora is only about an hour drive from Lisbon, so we recommend using your first day to explore a bit of the coastal region just south of Lisbon before heading inland to Évora.
Pick up your rental car at 11am from either the Lisbon airport or a rental agency in downtown Lisbon and make sure Via Verde is included in your rental (it’s a toll device). Cross the Tejo River and head over to Sesimbra for a grilled fish lunch on the coast (45 min drive from Lisbon). If you have some spare time before lunch, you can drive through a bit of Arrábida, stopping at Praia do Rebenta Bois and Praia do Ribeiro de Cavalo. Once you get to Sesimbra, park your car in the public parking lot and enjoy a grilled fish lunch at either Tasca Do Isaías or Pintarola - we recommend the grilled sea bass at both places. After lunch you can take a quick walk along the beach boardwalk before driving inland to Évora (1.5 hour drive from Sesimbra).
Once you arrive in Évora, park your car in this free public lot and walk into the walled town. We recommend booking an Airbnb within the walled portion of town. Start the afternoon by going to the Cathedral. We typically skip going inside cathedrals, but this one is a exception. For only 4 euros you'll get the unforgettable experience of climbing to the very top of the Cathedral and walking along the roof for some insanely beautiful views of Évora and the surrounding countryside. After the Cathedral, spend a few hours just wandering around town, shop for ceramics, and make sure to pass by the Roman Temple of Evora for sunset.
Dinner tonight is at our favorite restaurant in Évora, Tua Madre (make a reservation a few days before!). This is a tiny farm to table restaurant - their menu changes weekly based on what fresh ingredients they’ve picked up and they have a great selection of Portuguese natural wines.
Day 2: Elvas & Monsaraz
Today we’re going further east towards Spain and exploring the historic towns of Elvas and Monsaraz. Start the day around 10am and drive 1 hour to Elvas. Before going into town, drive up to the Forte de Nossa Senhora da Graça and explore this super impressive and well maintained historic military fortress (tickets are only 5 euros and well worth your time. We recommend spending about an hour in the fortress - bonus, you’ll get some amazing views of the Portuguese and Spanish countryside from here!
Drive 5 minutes into the town of Elvas, park your car in one of the free public lots just outside the gates of town, and walk to lunch at Adega Regional for some typical Alentejo cuisine. After lunch, spend a bit of time walking around the town and make sure to stop by the Elvas Castle.
Leave Elvas around 3pm and drive 1 hour to the hilltop village of Monsaraz. This is a super picturesque (and tiny) village that looks out over a lake bordering Spain. You can park your car in the free lot just outside the town and start exploring! There are some beautiful ceramic shops in town and make sure to stop at one of the several outdoor patios to enjoy a drink with a view. If you’re in the mood for a glass of wine, head over to the roofdeck at the Ervideira Wine Shop.
Drive 1 hour back to Évora, enjoy sunset in Praça do Giraldo and then book a table at Taberna Sal Grosso to enjoy some traditional Portuguese food with a modern twist!
Day 3: Talha Wine Tasting
Today’s the day you get to have possibly one of the most memorable and unique winery experiences! We recommend starting the day just wandering around Evora a bit - you could walk around the public garden or go into the Chapel of Bones (yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like, a chapel filled with human bones).
The afternoon is the main event! Drive 45 minutes to the tiny village of Vila de Frades and head over to Gerações da Talha (book ahead of time their Picnic in the Vineyard tour). We absolutely loved our time here learning about one of the most ancient winemaking techniques used to make talha wine. Seriously, don’t skip out on this one (even if you aren’t a big wine drinker, this experience is still amazing).
For your final night in Évora, we recommend booking a table at O Templo, Taberna Típica Quarta-feira or Alegrias e Vinho Tinto Botequim for a super traditional Alentejo dinner.
Day 4
It’s a quick 1 hour trip back to Lisbon from Évora, so if you don’t want to pay for an extra rental car day, get that car back to Lisbon by 11am!
If you want to extend your trip or combine Alentejo with another area of Portugal, we highly recommend you check out our itineraries for Lisbon, Porto, Algarve.
If you opt to go to the Algarve after Evora, you can drive from Évora to Praia da Samoqueira in under 2 hours and continue on with the Day 1 Algarve itinerary. Alternatively, you can drive straight from Évora to Lagos in just under 3 hours.
Cost Breakdown (2 people for 3 nights)
Note: Flights to/from Portugal are not included in this cost breakdown.
Uber to and from Rental Car Agency in Lisbon | $20 |
Airbnb | $300 |
Rental Car (includes gas, tolls, insurance) | $150 |
Breakfast | $15 |
Lunch | $70 |
Dinner (2 entrees, 1 app, bottle of wine) | $150 |
Cocktails (1 cocktail per person per day) | $60 |
Elvas Fortress Tickets | $12 |
Évora Cathedral Tickets | $9 |
Wine Tour | $130 |
Total | $916 |
Daily Cost for 2 people | $308 |
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