Car

One of the best features of Alentejo is its seemingly untouched beaches and villages—which you’ll need a car to reach. Driving will give you access to many out-of-the-way spots. A good network of modern toll roads crisscrossing the country, as well as very little traffic, make driving quick but expensive. A 1½-hour drive on the main A6 toll road from Lisbon to Évora costs about €10 for a standard sedan, and about €16 for an SUV. There are no confusing big cities in which to get lost, although parking can be a problem in some tight town centers, as in Évora.

The toll highway A6, which branches off A2 running south from Lisbon, takes you as far as the Spanish border at Elvas, where it links up with the highway from Madrid. This road provides easy access to Évora and Alto Alentejo. The A2 runs south to the Algarve, as does the non-toll IP1/E01. Farther inland and south of Évora, the IP2/E802 is the best access for Beja and southeastern Alentejo. The N521 runs 105 km (65 miles) from Cáceres, Spain, to the Portuguese border near Portalegre. To the south, the N433 runs from Seville, Spain, to Beja, 225 km (140 miles) away.