Alentejo and Andalusia- advice on itinerary
 

Hi, Portugal and Spain experts, I need your advice. <BR><BR>Could you, please, tell me which itinerary is the best, considering I'm a traveler that doesn't like too long drives, too many check ins and outs, as well packing/unpacking:<BR><BR>Fly to Lisbon, 4 nights stay, day trips by train to Sintra and Cascais. Rent a car on the 4th day, drive to:<BR><BR>a) Evora, 2 nights stay, day trips to Arraiolos, Estremoz. Drive to Beja, lunch stop, drive to Aracena, 2 hrs stop, drive to Sevilla,<BR><BR>or<BR><BR>b) Estremoz, 2 nights stay, day trips to Arraiolos, Evora, Marvao. Drive to Sevilla via Zafra, lunch stop. Return the car in Sevilla.<BR><BR>5 nights stay in Sevilla, with day trips to Cordoba and Granada.<BR><BR>AVE train to Madrid, overnight, fly back home.<BR><BR>Any opinions appreciated, as well as hotels, paradores, pousadas, and restaurants recommendations.Thanks in advance,<BR><BR>Mary

Ooops, please read:<BR><BR>b) Estremoz, 2 nights stay, day trips to Arraiolos, Evora, Monseraz. Drive to Sevilla via Elvas and Zafra, lunch stop. Return the<BR>car in Sevilla.

I like your plan. I think Evora will give you more things to see. I did that drive thru Beja to Aracena--have fun !

Early this Spring we spent 10 weeks in Portuagal, drove around the enire country. The Alentejo was probably our favorite area.<BR>1) Evora is very nice, and has some very good restaurants. Try O Antao , just off the old town village square. It specializes in Alentejano cuisine.<BR>A lot depends on your hotel location in Evora. Once you get within the city walls it is difficult to negotiate the very narrow cobbled streets, many one ways,conjested with delivery vehicles and pedestrians.Parking is non-existant. The entire old town is easily and best appreciated on foot in any case. We spent 5 days in Evora and visted Vila Vicoise, Monsaranz, and other hill towns. Unfortunately the weather was very wet and we did not have an opportunity to visit the Neolithic megaliths for which the area is well known.<BR><BR>2)We used Beja as a 4 day base to explore the southern Alentejo region. I would VERY STRONGLY NOT recommend driving in Beja!! Driving in strange PT cities is a bit difficult at first, but driving in Beja is incredibly difficult and doesn't get any easier regardless of your familiarity with the street lay out. In addition Beja is not really as interesting as the surronding Alentejano country side. Try to see the "white village " of Alcoutin or Mertola. Try to visit the Roman Ruins at Cucafaque. <BR><BR>Email me if you want.

Thank you, Bob and Ridem,<BR><BR>Anyway, I don't mean to drive inside the walls, but rather driving to where I'm staying ( in Evora or Estremoz), unload the luggage, park the car, then exploring the villages on foot. When doing day trips, my plan is to leave the car in the city skirts, getting into the village on foot, and stroll, stroll, stroll....<BR><BR>Mary

Advise from a Portuguese: plan a)