Visual Travel Tours.com | Evora, Evora, Portugal

Sacred Places Of Portugal

Richly endowed by both nature and history, Portugal is a sun-baked land of castles, dramatic coastlines, jagged mountains, lively festivals, and proud Roman Catholic traditions. From prehistoric cave dwellers, numerous empires and invaders, to several centuries of Roman and Moorish influence, Portugal had been on the forefront of Western civilization’s development for many centuries. To understand Portugal’s future is to travel into the country’s glorious past. Portuguese citizens fostered the Age of Discovery, inspired one of Europe’s most visited pilgrimage locations, and created an emblematic staircase known throughout the country – all within a nation about the size of Indiana. Follow this podcast on an exciting journey to the four most famous sacred destinations in Portugal.

Tips in this Tour:

	Air travel to Portugal is serviced by the Portela International Airport in Lisbon, to be replaced by the new Lisbon international airport in 2017. Portela Airport is now completely surrounded by urban development, being one of the few airports in Europe located inside a major city. The country is also accessed by regular rail, ferry and public bus transportation routes. All overland routes to Portugal pass through Spain. After all, Spain is the only country Portugal borders on the Latin-influenced Iberian Peninsula.
	Getting to Évora: A train station was added in 1860, connecting Évora to Lisbon, only a few hours away. Most people arrive by car, which is the best option for visiting the Neolithic sites in the surrounding countryside. Follow the road to Montemor-O-Novo and follow the signs to Guadalupe and the “cromlechs of Almendres.” From there, the signs lead to Valverde and Zambujeiro. The Almendres enclosure is 8 miles (14 km) from Évora near the town of Guadalupe. Branching out in another direction from Guadalupe, 4 miles (6 km) away is the Zambujeiro dolmen. Traveling west from Valverde is the Brissos chapel, constructed from the remains of a megalith. It is a short distance (5 km) from there to the Upper Paleolithic Escoural Caves, on the way to Montemor-o-Novo and back to Évora. Along this route, in the village of Alto da Portela de Mogos, are two cromlechs (megalithic circles) about a mile apart. Heading from Évora to Estremoz is the Dolmen do Paco das Vinhas. Other monuments are scattered in the greater Évora region. Detailed road maps can be obtained at the Tourist Information Office in Évora.
	Getting to Belém: The Monastery of Jerónimos and the Belém Tower are within 1/3 mile (500 m) of each other, and 4 miles (6.5 km) west from the old city of Lisbon. Tram #15 or Bus #27 each leave regularly from Praca do Coméercio in downtown Lisbon for Belém. The Torre de Belém, or Belém Tower, was built by Dom Manuel to guard the entrance to the port. It has become a symbol of Portugal and tours of both the monastery and tower are available every day. The tower is worth a look just to see the delicately arched Moorish style windows. Unlike the monastery, the interior of the tower is unremarkable.
	Getting to Fátima: Located in west central Portugal, in the region of Leiria and approximately 87 miles (140 km) north-northeast of Lisbon, Fátima is a small rural village in a rocky region, whose main export is olive oil. A train runs daily from Lisbon to Chão de Maças, 12.5 miles (20 km) outside Fátima. From there, a 30-minute bus ride takes passengers from Chão de Maças into Fátima.
	Getting to Bom Jesus: From downtown Braga, the third largest city in the country, follow the signs north 3 miles (5 km) to the base of the grand staircase. It is another half mile (.8 km) to drive the winding road to the sanctuary gardens on top. From here, it is usually easy to park and wander around the beautiful grounds, including manicured gardens and a small lake nearby the church. On weekends, this is a popular picnic destination so parking may be difficult. A city bus accesses the site regularly. There is also a pedestrian tram that runs parallel to the staircase.

Click to see a QuietGuide™: Scroll as you stroll. Text+photos formatted for mobile.

Transportation:	Walking & Driving
Specialty:	Sacred Sites
Category:	Travel Log - play before you go
Added:	07/18/2008
Duration:	30 min

Chapters in this tour:
     Introduction
     Évora: Spanning Many Eras
     Belém: Age of Discovery Headquarters
     Fátima: A Vibrant Pilgrimage Destination
     Bom Jesus: A Stairway to Heaven

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