Nearly every sight mentioned by TripMasters for Beja can be seen while traversing the city on foot. In the old town, all sights are within a third of a mile of each other. The distance from the Al-Mu`tamid memorial in Parque da Cidade to the Praca de Touros is a little longer, at about half a mile. To visit the Villa Romana de Pisoes, please consider hiring a taxi, driving a car, or finding an alternate form of transportation besides walking, as it is approximately six miles outside of Beja.

By bus

A Rodoviaria do Alentejo (www.rodalentejo.pt) bus line connects Beja to Evora, and a Rede Expressos (www.rede-expressos.pt) bus line connects Beja to a number of towns in the Alentejo region, as well as to Lisbon. There is no bus service geared toward locals and visitors in Beja.

By taxi

Five taxi companies serve the area in and around Beja. Considering how compact the city is, fares will never be expensive as long as you stay in and around the town. The meter will start at around €4; add €1 for every mile. The ride from Beja to the Villa Romana de Pisoes will cost approximately €10 one-way. Have your hotel call a taxi for you if you need it; this piece of advice quickly veers from `suggested` to `mandatory` after 9 or 10 p.m., when all the roaming taxis head home. Fares rise by at least 20% after 9 p.m., all day on weekends, and during holidays.

NOTE: Do not assume your taxi driver will know how to speak English. Write out your destinations on pieces of paper and give the paper applicable to that specific trip to your driver before departing.

By bicycle

Beja`s old town is positioned at the top of a hill, so riding from the castle or cathedral to Parque da Cidade will bring you downhill by about 170 feet. This should probably be tried only by intermediate or expert cyclists; it's a steep climb or drop (depending on direction traveled) in perfect weather, and rain can make the bike route more difficult to complete. Novices who want to bike in Beja should stick to the area near the outskirts of the city. The aforementioned Parque da Cidade is a great place to start.

You can rent a bike from Go Cycling Portugal (www.gocyclingportugal.com); the Lisbon-based company employs English-speaking staff, online orders can be made completely in English, and on top of all that, the company will deliver the bike rental to you anywhere in the country. Expect to shell out €30-€50 per day depending on the type of bicycle rented.

By car

We do recommend renting a car to explore the Alentejo region, but you will find that it is not needed inside Beja`s city limits. Ten public parking lots are located inside the Beja city limits, with one situated inside the old town at Largo de Sao Tiago.

Hertz operates a franchise in Beja on Rua do Progresso. If you are taking advantage of self-drive portions of your trip, you will be picking up your car at the airport upon entering Portugal, not in Beja. If you decide to rent a car on your own in Beja, prices will range from €30 to €100 per day depending on the size of car requested.