Has anyone stayed in the walled city of Elvas, near the Portugal/Spain border? I'm planning a few quiet days there in between more active exploration of Lisbon, Seville, and Granada, and I won't have a car but love to walk. I prefer depth to breadth, so a lot of sights are not necessary, and I expect Elvas to be less touristy than Evora. On the other hand, it will be December and I don't speak Portuguese. All ideas are very welcome!
Posted by
BC Canada
82 posts
We visited Elvas on a day trip from Evora and the big star fortress and aqueduct but the town itself wasn’t too interesting. We stayed in Evora 3 nights in May 2022 and really enjoyed walking through the town. We had a car but I suspect more public transport options in Evora; like train to Lisbon. I guess it depends what you are looking for but we would return to Evora.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15794 posts
I stayed in Elvas with a car for several nights and used it as a base for day trips. I loved it. I did spend one day in Elvas and very much enjoyed it. There are several nice restaurants. I had no trouble speaking English only. Since it's a hill town (unlike Evora) there are scenic views. It was definitely much less touristy than Evora, but I was there in late May.
Posted by
OP
West of Boston
6 posts
Thank you, Chani and CKLR, for your thoughtful advice. I'm leaning towards spending the time in Seville now, though Chani, you made a good case for Cordoba!
Posted by
1 posts
Thanks for the answer.