30km/19mi southeast of Beja is the quaint little walled town of Serpa (alt. 230m/755ft; pop. 4,800), still known by the name it bore in Roman times. Above the town are the ruins of a 13th C. castle which affords a superb view of the town and surrounding countryside. The narrow lanes of the old town are lined with white houses, many of them faced
with azulejos. Other features of interest in Serpa are the Gothic church of Santa Maria (13th C.; polychrome azulejo decoration, 17th C., in the interior), the former convents of Sao Paulo and Sao António (15th-16th C.; cloister) and the remains of an ancient aqueduct at the Porta de Beja.