21 Best Hotels in Évora and the Alentejo, Portugal

The beautifully restored 17th-century manor house on Castelo de Vide's main square features a buttery yellow facade and stone stairways to intricately decorated rooms with period antiques. Set in the old stables, the breakfast room has a traditional clay-tiled floor and a huge fireplace. The hotel is the pride and joy of Victor Guimarães, whose family has owned the building for generations.

This whitewashed country house is on a huge farm estate surrounded by cork and pine trees, about 3 km (2 miles) outside Alcácer do Sal. Red-and-white-striped curtains and bedcovers elegantly match the red-clay-tile floors, while bathrooms are decorated in blue-and-white Alcobaça tiles. Game lovers can feast in the on-site restaurant. There's also a vineyard and wine-tasting room.

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.

Housed in a gleaming white 17th-century convent just inside the city walls, this is Elvas's most luxurious hotel. Each room is unique, and some have medieval wood screens, converted fireplaces, and headboards made of blue-and-white azulejos. Two pools and a terrace are tucked behind the city ramparts.

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. 

The essential architectural elements of a castle—including crenellated battlements and massive round towers—have been retained in this pousada located within the walls of the fortress at the edge of the village. Vaulted ceilings, red-clay-tile floors, oil paintings with gold-leaf picture frames, and red-and-gold-patterned upholstery add to the medieval atmosphere. Rooms fit for a king have beautiful arched Manueline windows and stone window benches. More than any other pousada, this really feels like you're staying in a 15th-century castle, with window seats set in thick walls that look out onto rolling plains. The cozy restaurant, open to the public, serves a variety of Alentejo specialties, including an excellent bacalhau caldeirada (codfish stew).

This sprawling horse farm and vineyard is 7 km (4 miles) from Portalegre, but it feels like it's way out in the countryside, with 360-degree views of rolling hills, rows of grapevines, and forests from the swimming pool. The family-run hotel is a rural oasis in the Mamede mountain foothills, with an outdoor brick oven and trellis-laden patio. The Portuguese owner, Nuno Malato Correia, and his Spanish wife make their own wine, an excellent peppery red, which is served with wine and cheese in the early evening or with dinner on request.

Five of the rooms in this 200-year-old inn inside the castle walls have eye-popping cliff-side views—they're well worth requesting in advance. All are decorated with locally made furnishings, tile floors, wood paneling, and heavy draperies. The restaurant is open to the public only for dinner, serving regional fare.

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.

No matter where you are in this popular hotel you're likely to have a water view, be it the Mira River, the Atlantic Ocean, or the glistening swimming pool. The restaurant, open only to hotel guests, has panoramic views of the sea that are spectacular on a clear day. Good, down-to-earth Portuguese dishes include açorda de marisco (seafood porridge), sopa de peixe (fish soup), and a variety of grilled fish that the Portuguese prepare so well. You can't beat the location, which is right across the street from the beach and a short walk to the town center.

The former home of a 17th-century nobleman, this charming hotel offers one of the best values in Évora, with most rooms featuring a view of the city’s skyline. Every room is unique, with traditional touches like the vaulted ceilings, wooden floors, and stunning tiled walls. The open-air terrace is the perfect place to enjoy your breakfast or a glass of wine. Book the garden suite and sleep surrounded by Évora's old Roman wall.

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.

About 8 km (5 miles) outside Elvas, this palm-shaded estate makes for a restful overnight stop near the Portugal–Spain border. The property covers more than 30 acres, with a sprawling main building, 18th-century chapel, and outdoor swimming pool. There's a good restaurant serving traditional Alentejan fare, and an even better bar with huge cozy fireplace. The staff can help you book horseback riding, hiking, or bicycle excursions.

You can't overlook this sleek hotel in the historical center: its name extends across the entire facade. Every room is named after a famous figure in Portalegre's history, one of the city's landmarks, or a nearby village. Outside, the roof is lined with solar panels that produce most of the building's electricity and hot water. There's even a system for collecting rainwater to nourish the terrace plants.

Steps from the beach and the town center, this hotel is a favorite among the surfers, cyclists, kayakers, and hikers making their way along the Rota Vicentina. The hotel can also help you rent bicycles, paddleboards, and canoes. There's a variety of rooms and apartments, all with views of the river or the ocean.