Évora Travel Guide — Roman Temple, Chapel of Bones & Alentejo Wine

Évora is a city of around 55,000 in the Alentejo region, 130km east of Lisbon. It was an important Roman city (known as Liberalitas Julia), a prosperous Muslim administrative centre, and the preferred royal residence of Portuguese kings from the 14th through 16th centuries. The combination of those layers — Roman, medieval, and Renaissance — within a single intact walled city earned it UNESCO World Heritage status in 1986.

It’s the most historically dense city in Portugal outside Lisbon, and the most complete Roman urban site in the country. It also functions as the capital of the Alentejo region, meaning it has a real economy independent of tourism — government offices, a university (founded 1559), and the agricultural trade that underpins the region.

Getting There

By car from Lisbon: A6 eastbound to Évora, 130km, approximately 1h30. The drive crosses the Alentejo plains, which are notably flat after the hilly country around Lisbon.

By train from Lisbon: services from Oriente station, 1h40–2h, from €12. Some services are intercity with reserved seats; others are regional. The Évora station is about 1km from the city centre.

By bus: Rede Expressos from Sete Rios terminal, approximately 1h30, several services daily. The bus arrives in the city centre.

Roman Temple of Diana

The Roman temple is the most immediate symbol of Évora and one of the best-preserved Roman monuments in Portugal. Fourteen Corinthian columns from the original portico still stand, dating to the 1st century AD. The building is commonly called the Temple of Diana, though there is no historical documentation of which deity it was dedicated to.

The temple survived because it was incorporated into a medieval fortification after the Roman period and later into the municipal slaughterhouse — the walls around it kept it standing when surrounding structures were dismantled. The current open terrace presentation dates from 1870s clearance work.

The surrounding public square (Largo do Conde de Vila Flor) is accessible at all hours. The temple is lit at night and worth seeing after dark. The adjacent Museu de Évora (€3) contains archaeological collections from the Roman period and Flemish paintings brought to Portugal by religious orders.

Cathedral (Sé de Évora)

Évora’s cathedral is the largest medieval cathedral in Portugal, built between 1186 and 1204 in a transitional Romanesque-Gothic style. The two asymmetrical towers — one crenellated, one with a conical spire — reflect the long construction period. The Gothic cloister (14th century) is the finest architectural feature and worth the €4 entry to the museum and cloister access.

The roof terrace walk (€3) gives views over the city, the Roman temple, and the Alentejo plains extending in all directions.

Chapel of Bones (Capela dos Ossos)

The ossuary chapel attached to the Igreja de São Francisco (Church of St Francis) is Évora’s most discussed attraction. Franciscan monks had it built in the 16th century to address the problem of overcrowded monastic cemeteries — they exhumed approximately 5,000 bodies from earlier burials and used the bones to line the walls and pillars of a single rectangular chapel.

The skulls and long bones are arranged with care — not chaotically but in organised bands and patterns. Lights hang from the ceiling between complete skulls. Two mummified bodies (a man and a child) are suspended near the entrance. The inscription above the door — “We bones that are here, await yours” — was added as a memento mori. The effect is sober rather than grotesque.

Entry: €4, purchased at the church. Open daily. The chapel is a 10-minute walk from the Roman temple.

A similar chapel exists at the Igreja do Carmo in Faro, which is less well-known. Évora’s is the larger and better-documented.

Medieval Walls and Historic Centre

The Roman walls, extended in the medieval period, still largely enclose the upper city. The circuit is approximately 3km and walkable in part. The central square (Praça do Giraldo) replaced the Roman forum and has been the city’s commercial and civic heart since the 12th century. The 16th-century fountain and the Igreja de Santo Antão facing the square are the main architectural features.

The historic centre is compact — most major sites are within 15 minutes walk of the Praça do Giraldo.

Cromlech of Almendres

Fifteen kilometres west of Évora, off the N114 road to Montemor-o-Novo, is the Cromlech of Almendres — a neolithic stone circle of approximately 95 standing and fallen granite megaliths arranged in an oval formation. The site dates to roughly 5,000–4,000 BC and is one of the most significant megalithic complexes in the Iberian Peninsula.

The site is free to visit, well-signposted from the main road, and receives a fraction of the visitors that comparable sites in the UK or Brittany attract. A nearby dolmen (Anta Grande do Zambujeiro, 10km away) is Portugal’s largest, though partially dismantled by archaeologists.

Alentejo Wine and Food

The Alentejo produces around 50% of Portugal’s cork and some of the country’s best red wines — dense, warm, with ripe fruit from the hot inland climate. The region’s main grape varieties include Aragonez (Tempranillo), Trincadeira, and Alicante Bouschet. Several wine producers near Évora (Herdade do Esporão, Herdade dos Grous) offer tastings and cellar tours.

Regional food is built around pork, game, bread, and the rich sheep’s cheese from the nearby Serpa and Nisa areas. Migas (fried breadcrumbs with pork), carne de porco à alentejana (pork with clams), and sopa de cação (dogfish soup with coriander and bread) are the standard dishes.

Taberna Típica Quarta-Feira on Rua do Inverno and Restaurante Fialho on Travessa das Mascarenhas are the long-established traditional restaurants. Adega do Alentejano near the market is good for lunch at lower prices.

Where to Stay

The historic centre has hotels ranging from the M’Ar De Ar Aqueduto (a design hotel in a 16th-century convent) to smaller guesthouses near the cathedral. Évora works well as an overnight stay from Lisbon, particularly if combining with the megalithic sites west of the city. See our Évora hotel guide for a full breakdown of options.

Best Time to Visit

Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–October) for the best balance of temperature and light. Summer (July–August) in Évora is hot — regularly 38–42°C — and while the historic centre has shade and the museums are air-conditioned, it’s uncomfortable for extended outdoor walking. Winter is mild (10–16°C) and the city is quiet, making it a good off-season destination.