Évoramonte Hike
This is an easy circular Hike of 7 km (4.5 miles). Évoramonte is one of the oldest villages in the Alentejo. Archaeological remains indicate that Évoramonte is a 2300-year-old Iron Age settlement. The home of the Sefes Tribe who worshiped serpents and resisted the advances of the Romans for decades.
We’ll start our hike down in the new Village and go up to the Church of “S Pedro”. Near the Church the archeologists found one hundred marble funerary stelae from medieval times. We’ll continue our walk and visit two abandoned windmills. From here we have a spectacular view of the Fortifications of Évoramonte. We’ll be walking along ancient pilgrimage routes punctuated by Temples. We´ll find the Chapel of “Santo Estevão”, so small that the pulpit was built outside. The Church of “Santa Rita” which served as an old hospice. The Hermitage of “São Marcos” which may have been an Islamic “Qubba”. From here we’ll start our ascent to the walled medieval village. Through ancient paths we'll arrive at the Hermitage of “S Sebastião” another Islamic “Qubba”. We’ll now walk outside the Fortification to visit an archaeological excavation and the Hermitage of “Santa Margarida”. We’ll go inside the walled Village through “Porta da Sol” and walk along stone streets and medieval gothic doors. We´ll see the “Casa da Convenção” where a civil war ended at the beginning of the 19th century. We also have the “Celeiro Comum”, a cereal bank from Medieval times. The Church of “NS da Conceição”, the oldest Temple in the Village. Under our feet we have a cistern to store water from the rain. The Medieval Castle was transformed into a Bulwark Fort in the 16th century. We can visit the Castle where we´ll find an exhibition of funerary stelae, spectacular architecture and from the roof we can see .....the back of the eagles. Will leave the village through “Porta de S Sebastião” near the Church of "Misericórdia". We’ll go down to the new Village walking between olive trees and visit the Fountain of “Santo Estevão”.
