Elvas

Driving on to Borba via the N255, as you enter watch for the imposing 18th-century fountain sculpted from the pale-pink, locally manufactured marble. From Borba turn west on N4 and head directly to Estremoz; however, if you are game for more sightseeing, turn right on N4 to Elvas. Elvas, only 11 kilometers from the Spanish border, was once the major defensive stronghold in the country. The 16th-century Amoreira Aqueduct, built on Roman foundations, is the most dramatic monument in town and, remarkably, is still used to carry water to the city. Equally impressive are the town walls whose elaborate construction, with two walls built in the 13th century and one in the 17th, attest to the continuing importance of the city. Two forts flank the city on the north and the south. The Forte de Nossa Senhora da Graça on the north offers splendid views of the countryside and the Forte de Santa Luzia, on the same side of the town as the pousada of the same name, is alleged to be the best-preserved 17th-century fort in Portugal.The walled, medieval old city can be entered through the Porta de Olivença. A street of the same name leads directly to the center of town and the Praça de Republica. Just northeast of here are the Church of Nossa Senhora da Consolaçao and the Church of Nossa Senhora da Assunçao, both boasting lovely azulejo interiors.Elvas is a bigger city and less pure in ambiance than some of the picture-perfect, fortified hilltowns you have been visiting. However, the narrow cobblestoned streets of the old city are lined with enchanting old residences and picturesque cafés and shops (you might want to pick up a box of Elvas’s famous plums).