Arraiolos - Arraiolos visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Arraiolos' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Distrito Évora.

Arraiolos is a small town set at an altitude of 275m on the Alntejo Plain some 20km north of Évora in Distrito Évora, Portugal. The town was referred to by Ptolemy, the Alexandrian geographer, as 'Arandia' and, being set on a hill, has magnificent views of the surrounding area.

Arraiolos is most noted for the production of brightly coloured woollen carpets which have been made here, by hand, for generations. The carpets are made in a kind of cross-stitch thought to have been inherited from the Moors since the 17th century. Early Arraiolos carpets used Persian designs, which then developed into more local, geometric patterns. In recent years the carpets have become popular collectors items, sold both locally in Arraiolos and in other Alentejo towns, such as Évora. There is a permanent display of the carpets in the 19th C. town hall, next to the tourist office.

Other attractions in and around Arraiolos:

• Arraiolos Castle (Castelo de Arraiolos) - also known as Paço dos Alcaides, first built in the early 14th century and remodelled in the 17th century. The castle has two gates and six towers.
• Igreja da Misericórdia - 16th century church near the Town Hall, containing some beautiful 18th century azulejo decorations and paintings.
• Quinta dos Lóios - Old convent church just outside the town. The church has a Manueline doorway and is completely faced with 17th century azulejos (painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tilework).
• Montemor-o-Novo - Moorish town some 20km southeast of Arraiolos. Above the town is a medieval castle built on the site of a Roman fortress.
• Santana do Campo Church - small, village church 6km north of Arraiolos built on the site of a Roman temple.
• Évora - UNESCO World Heritage city 20km south of Arraiolos full of historical buildings.

Arraiolos Tourist Information Office
Posto de Turismo - Arraiolos
Praça Lima e Brito, nº27
7040-027 Arraiolos
Phone: +351 266 490 254
Email: geral@cm-arraiolos.pt

Car: Arraiolos is 20km north of Évora on the R114-4 and N370. It is 120km east of Lisbon on the IP7 / A6 and about 100km west of Badajoz in Spain.