5 Best Sights in Évora and the Alentejo, Portugal

The well-preserved ruins of the Roman Temple dominate Largo do Conde de Vila Flor. The edifice, considered one of the finest of its kind on the Iberian Peninsula, was probably built in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The temple, largely destroyed during the invasions of the barbarian tribes in the early 5th century, was later used for various purposes, including that of municipal slaughterhouse in the 14th century. It was restored to its present state in 1871.

The 20-foot-high Dolmen of Zambujeiro is the largest of its kind on the Iberian Peninsula. This prehistoric monument is typical of those found throughout Neolithic Europe: several massive stone slabs stand upright, supporting a flat stone that serves as a roof. These structures were designed as burial chambers.

The graceful arched Silver Water Aqueduct, which once carried water to Évora from the springs at Graça do Divor, is best seen as you drive along the road to Arraiolos (R114-4). Constructed in 1532 under the patronage of Dom João III, the aqueduct was designed by the famous architect Francisco de Arruda and extends 18 km (11 miles) north of Évora. Évora's tourist office has a map of the aqueduct and footpaths alongside it.

In the tiny village of Guadalupe stands the Menhir of Almendres, an 8-foot-tall Neolithic stone obelisk believed to have been used in fertility rites. Several hundred yards away is the cromlech, 95 granite monoliths arranged in an oval in the middle of a large field on a hill. The monoliths face the sunrise and are believed to have been the social, religious, and political center of the agro-pastoral, seminomadic population. The site is also believed to be linked to astral observations and predictions, fertility rites, and the worship of the mother goddess.

The area around Monsaraz is dotted with megalithic monuments. This 18-foot-high menhir (standing stone), is one of the tallest ever discovered.