Portalegre

Portalegre lies about 110km north of Évora at the foot of the Serra de São Mamede, best reached by car via the A6/A23 in around 1 hour 30 minutes, since the Rede Expressos bus takes about 2 hours and often requires a connection. Given the distance, an early departure allows more time in the town and, for hikers, on the surrounding Serra de São Mamede Natural Park trails. A day in the historic centre begins well at the Manufactura de Tapeçarias de Portalegre, the working Robinson tapestry manufactory where weavers can be seen producing the town's renowned hand-knotted wool tapestries, a craft dating to the 1940s that made Portalegre internationally known. From there, the preserved historic centre holds several 16th to 18th-century mansions along cobbled streets, along with the Portalegre Cathedral and the small Museu José Régio, dedicated to the noted Portalegre-born poet. Visitors with more time or an interest in hiking can spend the afternoon on the lower trails of the Serra de São Mamede Natural Park just outside town, which rises to over 1,000m and offers views across the northern Alentejo. Spring and autumn are best for hiking the natural park given more comfortable temperatures, while the town centre itself is a manageable visit year-round.