Pousada de Sao Francisco Review

Pousada de Sao Francisco is located in the heart of Portugal's beguiling Alentejo region. The Pousada de Sao Francisco includes a restaurant offering the best of the local cuisine, a small chapel, a pool and bar with wine and cheese tasting, and an opportunity to sleep in a historic place you might otherwise have to pay an entrance fee to see. I enjoyed my all-too-short stay at the Pousada de Sao Francisco immensely.

I stayed at the Pousada de Sao Francisco in October of 2006. October is a fine time to visit the Alentejo region, and with lodging in a place as grand and impressive as the Pousada, with its 13th century underpinnings, a rainy afternoon can be spent comfortably exploring the nooks and crannies of the structure. You'll find interesting art, a very comfortable lounge bar, exhibitions of ancient artifacts found during the restoration of the building, and a fine restaurant.

I had a room looking out onto the pool area of the Pousada. The room was of generous size, and the bathroom was quite large as well. There was a lot of space in the closets which were automatically lighted when a door was opened.

The pousada offers free wi-fi, but the signal didn't reach into my room. The ample and comfortable common areas made the task of going outside my room to access the internet less annoying than it might have been.

The vaulted ceilings of the convent refeitório grace the modern Pousada restaurant, a long dining hall anchored by a table of sweet deserts located in the center. The menu is an extensive reflection of the local Alentejo cuisine, and offers both small and large dishes--food for just about any appetite.

The night I dined, an expert pianist played tunes on a grand piano at one end of the room. The ambiance is relaxed elegance; people dined in sportcoats and tee shirts.

The olive oil lavished on dishes when appropriate is a fine, golden oil with a richness you don't often find in Italian oils (Italians like a little "bite" or bitterness to the olive oil).

The restaurant was equally skilled at putting out the peasant soups of the region as it was with the more expensive items like rack of lamb. Everything tasted was freshly prepared and delicious.

I really enjoyed my night at the Pousada de Sao Francisco. I was so intent on enjoying the ambiance that it was hard to leave the place to see the local views. Beja, while capital of the Beja province of the Alentejo, is a relatively small town, the central core was interesting to walk through, and a visit to the castle mandatory. Close by is the Roman farmhouse ruins of São Cucufate and the Roman village of Pizões.

October was just about right for a visit to Beja and the Pousada de Sao Francisco. Reviewers report that the pool area gets quite hectic on a hot August day. In October, the unused pool provides a glassy foreground to a thoughtful glass of Port before diner, taken at the bar outside in the slanting autumn light.

The staff of the Pousada de Sao Francisco was superb. They spoke English well, and were willing to talk on just about any subject I could suggest, including the history of the hotel.

Pousada de Sao Francisco
Apartado 63 | Convento de Sao Francisco
Beja 7801-901, Portugal

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.