Beja

On our drive to Évora, we made a stop in the town of Beja.  Beja has an interesting history as it was founded by Julius Caesar in 48 BC and has long been an important and prosperous city.  

Our first stop was to see the Castelo de Beja built at the end of the 13th century on Roman foundations.  It stands high in the city center and offers panaramic views of the surrounding area.  

Next to the castle is the Beja Cathedral built in 1590.  Inside are beautiful blue and white tiles surrounding the altars. 

The last place we ventured during our short stay in Beja was Convento de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Church of Our Lady of Conception).  Founded in 1459 this convent is now a museum.

For lunch we drove about 20 minutes north to the small town of Cuba where we ate at Restaurant Taberna do Arrufa.  It is a traditional Portuguese tapas restaurant and tavern.  There was definitely a mix of locals and other tourists eating while we were there.  The food was good and I ate my weight in homemade bread (brought to the table in adorable patchwork-sewn bag)!