Introduction

We recently spent a long weekend in the town of Beja in the Alentejo Region of Portugal as part of a longer trip across the Iberian Peninsula. We loved the town and think you will too – the old town was adorable and despite the hot climate during the summer, we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. There are plenty of interesting monuments and historic points of interest for any history buff to be satisfied.

 

Beja is a historic town dating back to Roman times. Sitting on a hilltop overlooking the countryside that’s dotted with Roman villas and wineries, Julius Caesar called it “Pax Julia” when it was part of the Roman Empire after making peace with the Lusitanians in 48 BCE. Many of the Roman architecture remains in the heart of the city, including the Roman arch from the site of the original castle from which the current castle sits.

 

Where is Beja?

Beja is located about an hour and a half from both Lisbon and the Algarve region, and is reachable by both bus and car. It’s also a scenic drive across the Alentejo countryside. While you can take a bus from Lisbon, we recommend getting your own transportation to explore all the great sites that the region has to offer. Alentejo is the largest province of Portugal making up nearly a third of the land area, and it is often overshadowed by the more popular destinations such as Lisbon, Porto, and Algarve. Travelers would be wrong to miss this region – during our visit the people we connected with were almost exclusively Portuguese, either local to Beja, or visiting from other parts of the country.

The closest international airports are in Lisbon, with direct flights from destinations worldwide, and Faro, which is served by European carriers such as EasyJet, RyanAir, and others.

 

Best Time to Visit

We visited during the summer months and let me tell you, it was very hot! Being so far from the moderating influences of the Atlantic Ocean gives this region a more arid, hotter climate than the coastal areas. Data shows that the winter is a better time to visit the city and the larger Alentejo region. The climate, however, makes the region a perfect place to grow grapes – the larger District of Beja includes a number of wineries that are worth getting out to explore.

 

Things To Do

The Castle of Beja (CRED: studio f22 ricardo rocha / www.shutterstock.com)

 

One of my favorite things to do in any new city is to explore by foot with no specific destination and the historic centre of Beja does not disappoint! We opted to wait until later in the evening to avoid the hot sun which made the experience of walking Beja’s streets much more pleasant. Some of the sites to visit include medieval Castle of Beja which looks particularly stunning at night. The convent which we stayed in (now a hotel) is an impressive building and worth a visit even if you’re not a guest.

 

 

The lovely view from Ribafreixo Wines

Getting out of the city, there are a number of must-see places to visit including a variety of wineries and Roman ruins – we stopped by the Villa Romana de São Cucufate which was a nice complex north of Beja. We can also recommend the Ribafreixo Wines – their lunch menu was amazing with an even better view of the Alentejo countryside. There are a number of tours to olive orchards and while we didn’t get a chance to visit any, it’s something I’d recommend checking out, since this region is well-known for producing olives!

 

Places to Stay

Our family booked a two-bedroom suite at the Pousada Convento de Beja (also known as the São Francisco Convent) was built in the 13th century and was converted into a hotel in the 20th century. Overall, our experience was pleasant though there it certainly wasn’t perfect. We’ll have a more detailed review post soon.

 

 

The narrow streets of Beja are fun to explore

Final Thoughts

Beja is the perfect city for a long weekend from Lisbon or as part of a larger trip. It’s tough to find a town in Europe that isn’t overrun by tourists and it’s nice to be someplace where it’s almost exclusively locals and regional tourists. While the weather in the summer is oppressive, it’s tough to find a sunnier place with over 370 hours of sunshine in July – their sunniest month virtually guaranteeing rainy days won’t disrupt your plans.