OFF THE TRAIL: EVORA, PORTUGAL

Evora is an absolute gem in the heart of Portugal. The whole old city is a World Heritage Site and open air museum according to UNESCO.

It’s just a short train ride from Lisbon. You can go on an early train and take the last one home but trust me, that won’t be enough time to explore this delightful city and all its nooks and historical crannies. Stay for a weekend. That’s what we did.
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Like much of Europe, there’s so much history in a small area from Neolithic to the Romans, to the Catholics – Evora has it all. And great places to eat, sleep, shop, and see!

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EAT

For a small city, Evora has an extraordinary selection of exceptional restaurants that will tantalize your taste buds. We had two incredible dinners and I’d recommend making reservations at both.

​First dinner we had at Bistro Barao (R. Da Zanuela 8). It’s a small family run restaurant, she cooks, he serves (or something like that) and it sits about 10-12 people. The walls in the back room are covered with hand-written messages from people all around the world – we were certainly not the only people to have found and loved this place.

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Our second incredibly delicious meal was a dinner at Momentos Evora (R. Cinco de Outubro 61). You know the food is going to be good when the sign outside says “Life is too short to eat chips everyday. We serve our food with vegetables.”
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This was one of those meals where there wasn’t much conversation but a whole lot of Mmmms and more Mmms. The father-son team that own and run the restaurant are really pleased to serve locally sourced foods, including some excellent olive oil, which you can buy there because it’s not widely available. I never take pictures of my food and I did that night.

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Now for the sweet stuff. You can’t visit Evora without stopping at Fabrica dos Pasteis (Alcarcora de Cima, 10) to satiate your sweet cravings. Walk up to the counter and just order one of everything. Trust me.

​While you enjoy your pastries you’ll see that the cafe is built into an old Roman wall. I’m certain that when the Romans built the wall, they never anticipated that someday the hole in the wall would be the way to the cafe’s washroom.

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SLEEP

When you’re greeted with a warm welcome and a glass of wine, you know you’re in a great place. And then they park your car! Such a nice bonus considering how navigating the narrow streets of the old town are enough to give a North American driver high anxiety. If you’re looking for a hotel with exceptional service, attention to detail, a great breakfast, cozy bar and lobby, and ideal location, I highly recommend the family owned and run boutique hotel Albergaria do Calvario.

SEE

The major sites around the old town include the Cathedral, Evora University, Chapel of Bones, peacock park (not its official name), and the narrow winding streets.
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Put on your comfy walking shoes because that’s the only way to see all the city’s highlights. Head uphill to the Cathedral and start there. The best part about the Cathedral is the roof top. A very narrow, windy staircase (just wide enough for one person – can prove problematic when you meet someone heading down, when you’re on your way up though) takes you high above the city for the best view of the town and countryside.

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From the cathedral, the University of Evora is just around the corner. Established in 1559, it’s the second oldest university in the country. It's small but mighty impressive. The building has gone through quite a few evolutions since its first years as a university, even completely closing down in the late 1770s when it became a Jesuit college. Two hundred years later it was restored and became a state run university once again. Each classroom has a different theme displayed on the tiles on the wall and that is super cool.

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A trip to Evora wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the Chapel of Bones (Capela dos Ossos) . This is quite possibly one of the strangest places I’ve ever been. Not for the faint of heart or those who are turned off my bones and skulls. But, you kind of know what you’re getting into, it is called the Chapel of Bones. Located next to the Church of St. Francis, the 16th century chapel is lined with the bones of about 5000 skeletons. The original purpose was to help people reflect on how life is transitory. I think now it’s a place for instagram photos. Nevertheless, worth the small entrance fee.

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Assuming you’ve stopped for a lunch on a terrace, you’ll want to go for a stroll (as if you haven’t walked enough!) about now. Head on over to the Public Park, just around the corner from the Chapel of Bones. Here you’ll find peacocks. Yep, peacocks. I don’t know the story as to whey they are there but they put on quite a display frolicking around an old ruin.
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There are some lovely paths that lead you through the park. Follow them and they’ll take you to another entrance/exit where you can head out into the windy streets again.

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SHOP

Like any tourist-friendly city, there are a lot of shops selling cork chachkies and other Portugese trinkets. Skip them. Every store sells the same stuff. You don’t want to bring home with the same cork key chain and ceramic pot holder as everyone else does, do you?
Instead, if you’re looking to bring home something truly original and actually made-in-Portugal, go to Gente do Minha Terra (R Cinco de Outobro 39). I loved this store! If only I wasn’t travelling with just a carry-on suitcase, I could have very easily given into temptation and bought a beautiful wool blanket (so gorgeous!), a gorgeous ceramic bowl and/or vase (so pretty!), and so much more.

SEE/SIDEBAR

You can’t go all the way to Evora without taking a little detour to see the neolithic stones – the Cromlech of Almendres. It’s quite the experience to stand next to something that humans put in place 5500-4500 BC – that’s before Stonehenge!
Historians don’t know the purpose of these stones but given their alignment with east-west and it’s hillside location, they believe it was a sacred place. With an aura of mystery surrounding the place, it kind of felt like it too.