Photos courtesy of Pousada de Évora
This pousada sits on a cobblestone square that also holds a museum, cathedral, and 2nd-century Roman temple sometimes called the Temple of Diana. During the Middle Ages Évora was the favored capital of the Portuguese kings, who brought artists and men of learning to establish a political and cultural center here. When the court shifted to Lisbon, the university closed and the town’s wealth declined. Today it is a market town for the produce of the province of Alentejo.
Saint John the Evangelist built and consecrated this monastery in the late 15th century. Over the centuries it was enlarged and restored by donations, and you can still see the various time periods reflected in its architecture. The monks, who wore a sky-blue habit, taught the sons of the Portuguese kings and offered hospitality and charity to anyone who requested it.
Pamela’s Perspective
Évora is one of the most charming towns in Portugal. The remains of a Roman temple, Visigothic walls, Moorish archways, and Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture are all found here, and palaces, mansions, and churches seem to be around every corner. To one side of the pousada is a chapel privately used by the monks who once inhabited the former monastery. You’ll delight in exploring Évora’s narrow, twisting streets with their balconies, whitewashed walls inset with beautiful colored tile façades, and grillwork hung with bird cages and flowerpots.
Some of the rooms at this pousada can be small, giving literal note to the expression “a monk’s cell.” Despite their size, they are charmingly furnished. Opt for the suites if you want a little more room. Rear rooms are the quietest.
Pousada de Évora
(Loios)
A 15th-century monastery
Contact
Largo Conde Vila-Flor
7000-804 Évora
Tel: ++351 266 730 070
Fax: ++351 266 707 248
Official pousada website
Reserve with Booking.com
Fast facts
31 rooms and 2 suites
Double rooms: 135–276 euros
Suites: 189–429 euros
Rates include breakfast, tax,
and service.
Packages available.
Open: all year
Getting there
Évora is about 140 km east of Lisbon where N-114 and N-18 intersect. There are several trains and buses a day from Lisbon; the train station is about 1.5 km from town.
What to do
On site: swimming pool
Nearby: cultural walking
tours of Évora; bicycling;
hot-air ballooning; horseback
riding; hiking; 4-wheel driving
Though the pousada is just a few steps away from Évora’s Roman temple, it is hardly noticeable from the square. Once inside this former monastery, you pass through long white corridors that surround cloistered gardens.
High, vaulted Gothic ceilings, marble and stone columns, and a grand staircase with a pink marble balustrade remind you of the building’s origins. One Gothic-Moorish doorway leads to a chapter house that once held records from the Inquisition. Small sitting rooms throughout the hotel contain charming hand-painted frescoes on the walls and ceilings, as well as crystal chandeliers and period furniture.
Guest rooms leading off an upstairs arched gallery contain hand-carved armoires, canopy beds, and headboards with the eagle emblem of the monks. Bathrooms are lined with gray marble.
The dining room stretches around the courtyard and features regional Alentejo fish and lamb specialties. Breakfast is served in the former refectory.
Something special
Évora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.