Estremoz

I wanted to go back to Estremoz. I had been here about a year ago, visiting Evora and Estremoz. But it rained most of the two days I was there and I wanted to see more of the town. So I started my second long Portugal road trip here.

I stayed in the great Pousada Castelo Estremoz or Pousada da Rainha Santa Isabel, again. Because of the weather last year, I missed the beautiful patio and courtyard of the hotel. I took a glass of wine outside to enjoy the lower town lights one evening. The rooms are great and offer fantastic views over either lower town or upper town and the countryside. The bar and lounge are lovely and they offer a great breakfast.

I had visited the Capela da Rainha Santa Isabel, the Museu Municipal Prof. Joaquim Vermelho, and the Igreja de Santa Maria, all on castle hill, last year, so spent most of my time in lower town.

I visited the Museu Berardo Estremoz Sunday when I arrived. I’m glad I found it right away as it’s closed on Mondays. Located in Tocha Palace, not far from the Lago do Gadanha, it is the largest private collection of tiles in Portugal. There are 800 years of tiles, 4500 pieces from the 13th to 21st c. Many from Spain, Andalusia, Barcelona, and Valencia. But also tile factories in Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, and Caldas da Rainhas. I visited the small tile museum when I was in Caldas da Rainhas in November. The entry ticket included a glass of wine; they had a good selection and more to purchase.

The museum is on the square with the Jardim Municipal de Estremoz, and I enjoyed that park after leaving the museum.

I enjoyed visiting all the gates, some I had seen last year but I also saw some that I missed. Porta do Sol is just down the street from the castle. I walked to Porta de Santarem, Porta de Evora, and Porta dos Currais, again. I went to the Torres da Couraca then walked over to Santa Catarina’s Gate.

On the way back to the town center and the main square, Praça Luís de Camões, I stopped to see San Joao de Deus Fonte.

I went looking for the Maltezas Convento which now houses the Estremoz Live Science Center or Estremoz Centro Ciencia Viva. The old convent building is beautiful. Courtyard has some peacocks roaming free, while the balcony has dinosaur bones. They had several large school groups, they come from as far as Lisbon and Porto, visiting. So I got a ticket later that afternoon. It’s a guided visit only, some archeology, lots of geology, tectonic plates, volcanoes, very interesting.

Restaurants

• A Cadeia Quinhentista on castle hill, is in the old 16th c jail. I didn’t like the porca migas dish I ordered at all but had a great carafe of wine and loved my baked pears for dessert. Service very friendly. The building is great and I wandered upstairs to see the bar.
• Tasca O Carlos I had their lunch special for just €10, soup, a main, and a drink. All very good. The restaurant is popular with locals and I got a table right at noon, by the time I left around an hour later, all tables were full and people were waiting to be seated.

Ammaia Ruins

I found these on a map when planning my driving route then later found them on a list of things to do in Marvão. The Ammaia Ruins are from the 1st c BCE to about 4-5th c CE.

There is a small museum before visiting the ruins. Ground penetrating radar was used to map the site and they will be digging out additional ruins for years. The main gate, the forum, baths, and theater are all open to visit. I definitely recommend a visit. There is plenty of parking out front.

Marvão

I survived the scary narrow roads to the Pousada, parked and left the car for most my visit. Roads are single lane so you might have to back up when rounding a corner and seeing another car.

Marvão is listed in 1000 Places to See Before You Die. When I mentioned the book to the man checking me into the Pousada Marvão, he said, “there may be a 1000 places to see but there is only one place to live, Marvão”. He was born there and never wants to leave.

The Pousada is another gorgeous historic hotel; there are fantastic views from the lounge and very comfortable rooms. They offer a good breakfast and I had dinner at their excellent Restaurante Ninho D’Águias, trying the delicious Alentejo Tomato Soup and lamb and potatoes.

After I checked in, I walked outside the walls through the Porta da Vila to visit the Convento de Nossa Senhora da Estrela. I should have asked at the hotel before leaving, however, as it’s now a senior center and closed to the public.

Marvão is on a ridge, close to the Spanish border in Parque Natural da Serra de São Mamede. The town was built around the 13th c castle, Castelo de Marvão, that offers amazing 360 degree views. I visited the cistern right inside the gates. This is one of the largest cisterns in a Portuguese castle, built to store 6 months of rain water, since there are no natural sources on the mountain.

There is a large parade ground after another gate. There are multiple stairs to access the walls here, and I enjoyed the great views. After the parade ground there are other gates, courtyards, powder magazines, cannons along the walls, and the highest tower of the castle or the “keep” accessed via a steep metal staircase and a wooden bridge.

I certainly didn’t want to drive more of the roads beyond the Pousada but walking around town was wonderful. I loved all the buildings and there were great views around every turn. I walked every road in town, really easy to do in this small town, population 300!

I visited the Museu Municipal do Marvão in Santa Maria Church. It is a 13th c church and has been a museum since 1987. It has some religious artifacts, ancient arms, and archeology.

I enjoyed the beautiful Jardim do Castelo de Marvão both days. It offers great views of the castle.

The Fonte do Concelho is from the 18th c, right in front of the Igreja do Espírito Santo or Church of the Holy Spirit. The church was founded in 1573. It wasn’t opened either day.

I visited the Igreja de Santiago. There is a small museum here with a lot of religious artifacts.

Beyond the castle, you can also walk much of the walls around the city. I walked down to the main gate, where you enter town, the Porta de Marvão. You can access the walls here, I walked all along up to the Porta da Vila until the walls got so narrow I got slightly nervous (no railings!) then went down the steep stairs by this gate.

My second afternoon, I wanted to go visit the castle in Castelo de Vide, a town about 10km away. The roads to the castle were too narrow for me after my stress from Marvão, so I skipped the final road up. I parked in lower town, walking past the 16th c Fonte da Vila on the way to visit Igreja Matriz-Santa Maria da Devesa. I paid €1 to see the sacred art museum upstairs in the choir loft and along the balconies. I visited Barona Craft Beer for a great hazy before leaving.

I stopped at Portagem to see the Roman Bridge. I also visited the Torre Medieval da Portagem and enjoyed a walk along the Rio Sever before returning to Marvão.

Restaurants

• Restaurante Ninho D’Águias, in the Pousada.
• O Castelo
• Barona Craft Beer House (Castelo de Vide)