Historical Evora PRIVATE Full Day Tour | Cork, Wine and Olive Oil

Nestled in the heart of Évora's UNESCO World Heritage old town, the Igreja de São Francisco stands as Portugal's first Franciscan convent church, founded in the 13th century and rebuilt between 1475 and 1550. Marvel at its striking Gothic-Manueline façade, featuring a unique narthex with seven arches blending Gothic, Moorish, and horseshoe styles, crowned by the emblems of Kings João II (pelican) and Manuel I (armillary sphere). Step inside to discover a soaring single nave—the widest rib-vaulted span in Portuguese Gothic—flanked by 10-12 lavish side chapels adorned with 18th-century gilded Baroque altarpieces, Renaissance pulpits, and intricate stucco work. Don't miss the harmonious Third Order Chapel with its stone, carved wood, and azulejo tiles, or the adjacent Renaissance São Joãozinho Chapel with its 16th-century marble Annunciation sculpture.

Adjacent to the majestic Igreja de São Francisco, the Capela dos Ossos (Bones Chapel) is a 16th-century ossuary that confronts mortality in bone-chilling style, constructed between 1485 and 1491 using remains from Évora's overflowing cemeteries. Over 5,000 skeletons—carefully exhumed and arranged by Franciscan monks—adorn its walls and pillars in intricate mosaics, arches, and columns, with skulls grinning from every niche and femurs forming vaulted ceilings. Enter through the arched doorway inscribed with a chilling reminder: "Nós ossos que aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamos" ("We bones that are here await yours"). Lit softly to accentuate the eerie beauty, the small chapel (18m x 11m) also holds two frescoed innocents atop columns and a ghoulish Christ sculpture, blending devotion with dark reflection.

At the pulsing heart of Évora stands Praça do Giraldo, the main square named after Geraldo Sem Pavor, the fearless knight who reconquered the city from the Moors in 1165, earning him governorship and a lasting legacy. Formed in the 14th century as a market hub—once hosting daily trades, fairs, and even public executions during the Inquisition—it features classic Portuguese cobblestones, graceful arcades with shops and cafés, and the elegant former Bank of Portugal building (once linked to the Inquisition). Dominating one side is the Renaissance Igreja de Santo Antão (built 1557-1563), with its three-nave interior, marble high altar, and commanding presence. At the center sparkles the 1571 Chafariz fountain by Afonso Álvares—a Renaissance marble masterpiece with eight spouts (human and mythical faces) symbolizing the converging streets, marking the Aqueduto da Prata's endpoint and Cardinal-Infante D. Henrique's urban renewal.

Dominating Évora's skyline, the Sé de Évora—Portugal's grandest medieval cathedral—was begun in 1186 under Bishop Pedro Soares and completed by 1375, blending Romanesque solidity with pioneering Gothic elements in a fortified fortress-church design. Its robust western façade boasts twin towers (one topped with a Renaissance dome), a massive rose window, and three grand portals, guarding a three-nave interior with pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and 18 side chapels rich in Manueline and Baroque azulejos. Climb the cloister for panoramic city views, admire the 15th-century Gothic main chapel with its traceried stalls, and marvel at the Renaissance high altar by João de Ruão featuring the cathedral's prized 14th-century Virgin sculpture. Don't miss the treasury's sacred art and the rooftop walkway offering bird's-eye vistas over Évora's rooftops.

Perched dramatically atop Évora's highest hill, the Templo Romano—dedicated to Flavia Gemma in the 1st century AD during Emperor Augustus's reign—survived as a medieval symbol of the city's pagan past, later misused as a slaughterhouse, laundry, and fortification before 19th-century restoration revealed its Corinthian grandeur. This well-preserved temple features a classic hexastyle (six-column) pronaos with 19m-high granite Corinthian columns atop tall pedestals, a surviving cella podium, and elegant capitals evoking Rome's imperial might amid the modern Largo do Conde de Vila Flor square. Though its original goddess remains debated (possibly Diana for its hilltop site), it whispers of Lusitania's Roman prosperity, contrasting beautifully with nearby medieval gems like the cathedral.

Just 15 minutes north of Évora in Azaruja's industrial park, Cortiçarte – Arte em Cortiça opened in 2000, building on generations of Alentejo cork expertise from early 20th-century factories like the 1924 Sociedade de Fabricantes de Cortiça Eborense. Watch the full process: sustainable harvesting from 25-year-old cork oaks (without harming trees), boiling, drying, and crafting into wine stoppers, wallets, bags, shoes, and innovative designs—all in their yellow workshop.

Optional Wine Tasting or Olive Oil Tasting. If you want to have either of these please tell us upon booking the tour so we can plan it for you. We will send different options and let you know about the extra costs.