Climb through the gates of Elvas and the first thing you notice is how white everything is. Whitewashed houses with blue or yellow edging, wrought-iron balconies and doorways, climbing streets paved in small stones, with the occasional Moorish arch and the smell of coffee from a cafe. The old town sits on a hilltop inside its star-shaped walls, a place of narrow streets, small squares and churches, and its centre is much better kept than the usual garrison town. It was part of the UNESCO listing in 2012, and the old centre is the other half of the picture, the place that the fortifications protected.
The history goes back a long way. Elvas was a Moorish town before it was conquered by the Portuguese in the thirteenth century, and the castle at the top, with its Arabic origins and later additions, still dominates the skyline. The cathedral, once the main church, has a Renaissance character, and in the Largo de Santa Clara a stone pillory stands in front of a church. The octagonal Church of Nossa Senhora da Consolacao, with its domed interior covered in blue and white tiles, is the town's architectural treasure and well worth a few minutes.
Riding in is simple but you should leave the bike outside the walls, in one of the car parks near the gates, as the streets are narrow and cobbled. Fuel, banks and supermarkets are in the modern part of town, and you will find a good choice of restaurants and cafes inside the walls. The border with Spain is only a few kilometres away, and the N4 and the A6 motorway run straight to Lisbon, about two hundred kilometres to the west.
Alentejo food is hearty, with pork, lamb, bread soups and strong sheep cheese. Elvas is famed for its plums, which are preserved in sugar syrup, and the little pastry called sericaia. Wine from nearby estates is excellent value.
The plain around is hot in summer, with temperatures regularly passing forty degrees, so visit in spring or autumn. Early mornings are the best time to walk, before the streets fill with day-trippers from Spain. Look up as you walk: storks nest on towers and chimneys all over town.