10 Best Hotels in Évora and the Alentejo, Portugal

Among the few five-star hotels within Évora's old city walls, this property's luxury is unmatched, with sleek, modern decor that echoes the city's medieval character. Just inside the lobby, you can look down through a glass floor to see the ruins of an ancient cistern preserved under the building, on the site of a 16th-century palace. Rooms are spacious, with views over a wonderful central courtyard and swimming pool surrounded by an orange grove. The building seamlessly connects to the city's old walls and aqueduct, of which most rooms offer spectacular views. There are three upscale restaurants and two bars with terraces. Aqueduto offers an array of activities, from Alentejan cooking classes to horseback or bicycle tours of the countryside, and wine-tasting trips to a nearby convent.

If you're hooked on Vila Viçosa's history, this 500-year-old convent next door to the Paço Ducal has all the period atmosphere you could want. There are marvelous half-restored frescoes to peruse as you walk down the long hallways. Ask reception to let you peek into a secret chapel from the late 16th century where nuns could pass into the main church undetected. Each room is unique, including one with a tiled passageway and iron bars separating a nun's living quarters from visitors, with a turnstile through which pilgrims could pass gifts. Even if you can't stay the night, you should sip a glass of port by the salon's huge fireplace.

If there's one pousada in all of Portugal that you splurge on, this should be it; dubbed the "museum of all pousadas," this hotel is housed in the medieval Castelo de Estremoz. Each room is different, some with massive four-poster canopy beds and all of them decorated with lavish 17th- and 18th-century antique furnishings that comprise a world-class collection in their own right. The ornate dining room seats 260, amid stone pillars and high arched porticos adorned with chandeliers. From the floor-to-ceiling windows behind velvet curtains in the bar area, or outside on the sprawling terrace with its swimming pool, you have a view across Estremoz below and out across what was once the king of the castle's domain. Another architectural highlight is the soaring, blue-and-white azulejo-bedecked stairway leading from reception to the second floor. The restaurant's emphasis is on traditional Alentejo dishes like perdiz caçador (partridge in red wine).

In the ancient castle overlooking the Sado River, this very attractive pousada has comfortable and tastefully appointed guest rooms with elegant wooden furniture and beautiful handwoven rugs. Public areas are medieval-inspired, with brick walls, stone floors, and torches. 

Often overlooked in favor of its glitzier sister hotel, the Hotel M'AR de AR Muralhas is a gorgeous oasis with balconies and terraces facing a secluded swimming pool and a pretty garden. This is where the storied Hotel Cartuxa once stood, and renovations have kept that longtime favorite's charm while adding gleaming whitewashed walls and all the modern conveniences. The location is great, within the city walls but far enough to be surprisingly tranquil. Modern rooms retain rustic touches like authentic Alentejo textiles.

In a restored 19th-century manor near the old city walls, this lodging has a huge swimming pool and patio overlooking vineyards and farmland that slope down from the edges of Estremoz. Some rooms have their own fireplace and whirlpool tubs. The lovely restaurant, open to the public, is decorated with intricate tile mosaics and a roaring communal fireplace. The luxurious spa is decorated similarly. Friendly, multilingual Belgian-Portuguese manager Evangeline can help arrange wine or ceramics tours, or hiking trips into the neighboring countryside.

If you need to sleep on your decision about which carpet to buy, consider an overnight stay in this picturesque pousada housed in a 16th-century convent that has been beautifully restored and tastefully updated with modern comforts. Although most of Portugal's other pousadas retain their old style throughout, the Arraiolos hotel seamlessly blends old and new, with stark modern decor like Japanese platform beds next to 400-year-old fireplaces. The staff is particularly attentive here, and on request can arrange activities like horseback riding.

Also known as Pousada de Loios, the former monks' cells in this luxurious convent-turned-pousada have been polished with modern conveniences, retaining their old-world style but leaving no trace of monastic austerity. Opulent period furnishings dot bedrooms and elegant public spaces. Order a glass of tawny port and perch by the fireplace in the charming, fit-for-a-king lobby. Superbly prepared Alentejo specialties are served in the restaurant, a marvel of Manueline details.

Several old houses within the city walls were joined to create the Pousada de Santa Maria, one of the area's prettiest lodgings. Guest rooms are decorated with traditional Alentejo furnishings, and the restaurant serves some of the best regional dishes in the village. The back of the hotel is encased in glass, with gorgeous views of the mountains and countryside.

Surrounded by spacious gardens, this former 13th-century convent has been tastefully converted into a comfortable pousada. The former chapel has been preserved and incorporated into the complex. Alentejo dishes fill the menu in the impressive restaurant, with vaulted ceilings and a regular piano player. The bacalhau com natas (salt cod cooked with a cream sauce) is delicious. There's an outdoor pool, tennis court, and a game room for kids.