Beja and Serpa are both, IMO, very pleasant cities. Nice for a stroll, a meal, or in the case of Serpa, one of their special pastries. Beja has a castle tower, a nice old pedestrian core, a pousada in a convent were you can have a coffee and walk through the common areas. Serpa is a walled city, and it may remind you of Avila if you've been there. There is not a whole lot to see or do, but there is a pretty little square and the walls themselves are impressive.

If you have extra time in the Evora area, I know there are a couple of us who like Arraiolos. It's a town where every other commercial building is devoted to rug making. They are not my favorite type of rugs by any means, but it is fun to see the women working on them and see the different designs. And the pousada there is spectacular, in an old all white convent with lovely grounds and one of those pretty little blue tiled chapels.

I don't know how much extra time you're talking about, but some of the places near Evora that are easy day trips are Estremoz, Elvas and maybe even Marvao (you can find a lot written about Marvao here, one of my favorite stops, but maybe a little far for you if you're headed to the Algarve). Or a quick pottery stop to Redondo and the Pirraca pottery store. It's one of my favorites.

Thanks!

Why stop at all--it is not far.

I want to see as much as the country as possible - plenty of time to stop and look around so looking for a destination in the middle...