16 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 manor house sits across the river and offers stunning views of the city at sunset. Ask for a back room with views over an orange grove. Common areas have a cozy fireplace where you can read a book or socialize with other guests. The friendly owners are avid bird-watchers and can help you arrange excursions.

Its labyrinth of passageways, whitewashed walls, vaulted ceilings, and interior open courtyard reflect the Arabic influence in this 200-year-old manor house near the Igreja do Salvador. The breakfasts are special with fresh orange juice, honey from the region, and queijadinhas (cheese tarts). The manor is in the center of town and within walking distance of restaurants. Owner Miguel Bentes has several apartments on an adjacent street, which are a good choice for large families or groups who want more space and access to a kitchen.

This small and surprisingly sophisticated guesthouse—a true romantic hideaway—occupies a whitewashed row house in the center of the walled town. The exquisite rooms are filled with antiques and decorated each according to a different Portuguese explorer's destination, including Macau, Goa, Mombasa, Dili, and Asilah. The fantastic valley views and the sunsets are worth the price of a room.

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.

Founded in 1889, this little inn along Beja's pedestrian shopping strip retains its old stone doorway covered in vines and vibrant pink flowers. The entryway and lobby—along with some rooms—are lined with gorgeous hand-painted tile murals of country life around Beja. A common room upstairs has a long brick fireplace and wood beams, the perfect spot to sip a complimentary glass of port in the evening. Rooms are flowery and spacious, and some have lovely wall murals. The abundant breakfast of homemade cakes, fruit salad, toast, and eggs is served in a bright breakfast room on the second floor.

The only five-star hotel 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.

This historic manor house is old-world style at its best, exquisitely adorned with local tapestries and chock-full of antiques. The house has been in António Manuel Manta's family for more than 200 years, and it feels like you're a guest in the family home. You'll be warmed by their hospitality, and by the complimentary glass of port they normally share with guests on arrival. Most of the rooms have fireplaces and high ceilings, and one has an annex with extra beds for kids. Breakfast is a luxurious spread of local cakes, teas, and breads, served on silver and crystal.

Named for its friendly owner, Maria Luisa, this historic guesthouse, decorated with antiques and local textiles, offers a great location on the edge of Castelo de Vide. The breakfast is a feast of homemade cakes, fresh fruit, and local cured meats, all served on the terrace overlooking Maria Luisa's flower garden. Don't be surprised if she greets you with tea and homemade bread and jam after your long day of sightseeing. Maria can lend you maps of the area.