Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Eating
Monsaraz has a handful of restaurants, all offering traditional Alentejan mains.
Cafe-Restaurante
Lumumba
(Rua Direita 12; mains €6-10; lunch & dinner Tue-Sun)
This small place has a more local, less
touristy clientele as well as more atmosphere than other cafes. It also boasts a terrace with
great views.
INTERNATIONAL
€
A Casa do Forno
(Travessa da Sanabrosa; 266 557 190; mains €8-10; lunch & dinner Wed-Mon)
The menu is fairly
standard here (although the walls display lots of prizes for cuisine from previous decades),
but the ambience is pleasant - there are checked tablecloths, attractive wooden chairs and
an outdoor terrace with 'those' views.
PORTUGUESE
€
Xarez
(
www.xarez-monsaraz.com
;
Rua de Santiago 33; mains €7-12; 11am-8pm Sep-Oct & Dec-May, 11am-midnight
summer)
A tourist-magnet for its views and reasonable
petiscos
(snacks) and mains. Seems
to be open when nothing else is.
INTERNATIONAL
€€
WORTH A TRIP
ARRAIOLOS: THE GREAT CARPETS OF PORTUGAL
About 20km north of Évora is the small town of Arraiolos, famed for its exquisite
tapetes
(carpets). These hand-
woven works show a marked influence from Persian rugs, and they have been in production here since the 12th
century. It seems half the population is involved in this artistry, and on a casual stroll through town, you might en-
counter several women stitching in front of their homes. Rug patterns are based on abstract motifs,
azulejo
designs or flower, bird or animal depictions. Shops are abundant, and you can pay anything from €50 for a tiny
runner to €2000 for the most beautiful pieces, which feature more elaborate designs.
The village itself dates from the 2nd or 3rd century BC, and is laid out along traditional lines, with white-
washed blue-trimmed houses topped with terracotta roofs and the ruins of a castle overlooking the town. The
plain facade of the
Igreja da Misericórdia
hides a beautiful interior with a golden altar and 18th-century
azulejo
-lined walls.
Take a peek at the centuries-old dye chambers in the main square, which is also where you'll find the
turismo
(
266 490 254;
www.cm-arraiolos.pt
;
9am-5pm Mon-Sat) . There are cafes in Arraiolos for lingering, and
a flashy
pousada
(
266 419 340;
www.pousadas.pt
; d €220) just outside town.
Shopping
