Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
BUS
From the
bus station
( 284 313 620)
buses run to regional towns and villages. Weekends see
fewer services. The bus station is in the southern part of town, about 600m from the his-
toric centre.
Buses run from Beja to local destinations and those further afield:
Albufeira
(€13.30, three hours, three daily)
Évora
(€8, 1¼ hours, hourly)
Faro
(€14, three hours, three daily)
Lisbon
(€13.30, 3¾ hours, hourly)
Mértola
(€10.80, one hour, one daily)
Serpa
(€6, 40 minutes, three daily) From Serpa, some continue to Moura (€5.10, 65
minutes, four daily).
CAR
Drivers are advised to park their cars in the clearly marked car parks outside the walled
centre.
TRAIN
Trains head to Lisbon (€17, 2½ hours, four daily). You change to a connecting train at
Casa Branca. At the time of research, the trains had a reputation as being a bit unreliable.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Serpa
POP 7000
Planted among the rolling hills of vineyards and dusty fields, Serpa is a sleepy, atmo-
spheric town of bleached-white walls and narrow cobblestone streets. At its medieval
heart is a small, pretty plaza carefully guarded by the elderly folk who have long called
Serpa home. Locals are renowned for their love of food, and several factory outlets pro-
duce the town's culinary jewel,
queijo Serpa,
a cheese made from curdled sheep's milk.
It's worth a quick visit, or even an overnight stay if you want to experience life in the
Portuguese slow lane.
