Spending seven nights with rental car (outside of a week in Lisbon) driving in central Portugal at a puposely leisurely pace.
Have already been to Porto and north previously.
Which of these cities, Evora or Coimbra, might warrant more than two night especially considering available side trips from either.
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1673 posts
If I were choosing, I would take the time of the year into consideration. If it’s October-late April, I would choose Evora. There is a Megalithica tour outside of Evora that’s great. And, there are other small towns fairly close that are lovely. Another thing in the area is a Dark Skies tour that I’ve heard is great. Plus, the Alentejo is a great wine region. But, it’s one of the hotter areas of the country and to be avoided during late spring into early fall.
If during the hotter months, I would choose Colombia. Conimbriga, outside of town is a nice side trip. Alcobaça and Batalha might be within day trip range. And, you have the coastal region that could be reached in a day trip.
Both towns have a good variety of things to do within town and have great food.
Posted by
269 posts
Kathrynj is absolutely right, temperatures are a crucial consideration when traveling to the Alentejo in the summer.
High 30's / low 40's are common in Alentejo, not comfortable for sightseeing and for some a health concern.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6547 posts
Depends on what you like to do and see. For my wife and I, we prefer Coimbra. We’ll be spending 3 nights there later this year. Coimbra and Evora are only a three hours drive apart, so you could stay in each. Between the two you could visit some Templar sites in Tomar or visit the Templar built Almourol Castle.