Arraiolos Attractions

The ancient little town of Arraiolos(altitude: 275m/900ft.) about 20km/12mi north of Évora, referred to by the Alexandrian geographer Ptolemy under the name of Arandia, is set in delightful surroundings on a low hill above the wide Alentejo plain, with magnificent views.

The town is noted for its brightly colored woolen carpets which are made in a kind of cross-stitch.

This form of carpetmaking, presumably inherited from the Moors, has been practiced here since the 17th C. The early designs were mainly Persian imitations, subsequently becoming geometric and more local. Arraiolos carpets, still mostly in strong colors, have been back in fashion since the mid 1970s, and are sold in other Alentejo towns, such as Évora, as well as in Arraiolos itself.