Convento do Espinheiro is a hotel destination wedding venue in Évora, Portugal, hosting 50 to 250 guests in the $$$ price range, reached from Lisbon Humberto Delgado (LIS), 1 hour 20 minutes by car. Best months: May, July, August, September.
Convento doEspinheiro
A 15th-century convent two kilometres outside the walls of Évora, built where a chapel had stood since at least 1365, used by Portuguese kings as a retreat, and converted into a 92-room hotel that kept the church, the cloister, the chapter house and the vaulted cellar intact.
Convento do Espinheiro in Évora, open May, July – September.
A 15th-century convent two kilometres outside the walls of Évora, built where a chapel had stood since at least 1365, used by Portuguese kings as a retreat, and converted into a 92-room hotel that kept the church, the cloister, the chapter house and the vaulted cellar intact.
It is the largest historic venue in this collection: weddings run up to about 250 guests, with the ceremony in the Gothic church, drinks in the cloister and dinner either in the ballroom or outside in the gardens.
The 16th-century cistern is now the wine cellar, which is where the small dinners happen. Évora itself is a UNESCO World Heritage town ten minutes away, with the Roman temple, the bone chapel and enough restaurants to keep a hundred guests occupied for two days, and Lisbon is an hour and twenty by motorway.
For a large Portuguese wedding that has to be somewhere genuinely old rather than a modern hotel with old furniture, this is the most capable building in the country.
4 notes of our own.
15th-century convent with its church, cloister and chapter house intact
Takes up to about 250 guests, the largest historic venue here
16th-century cistern converted into the wine cellar
92 rooms, so a large guest list sleeps on site
Best held in May, July, August.
The months the weather, and the local rhythm, is kindest to a stay at Convento do Espinheiro.
Ask about a date.
Choose a day from the calendar.
Nothing is reserved until the venue confirms. A first note comes back within two business days.
How the weekend usually runs.
Yours will be different, nothing below is required. Every planning begins with the three meals you most want to eat, and builds outward.
- 19:00Welcome drinks in the cloister, dinner in the wine cellar
- 11:00Guided morning in Évora, ten minutes away
- 17:00Ceremony in the convent church
- 18:00Drinks in the cloister and the gardens
- 20:00Dinner and dancing in the ballroom
- 12:00Late breakfast, then wine estates or the road back to Lisbon
Things worth knowing.
LIS · 1 hour 20 minutes by car
Guests fly into Lisbon Humberto Delgado. Our team arranges every transfer.
€45,000
Capacity figures are reported from the hotel’s own events pages and third-party venue listings, which differ between 250 and 300, so confirm before you plan. The euro amounts are estimates from Alentejo and Lisbon ranges, not a quote.
See the full figure+
€45,000 to €100,000 for 150 guests with rooms (estimated)
Space hire quoted with the catering package
A one-time licence and setup fee, paid to the venue.
€110 / head
A seated dinner with wine and service, by headcount.
See the full figure+
€110 to €190 per guest for food and drink (estimated)
€200 / night
A standard room in the wedding window. Group rates on request.
See the full figure+
€200 to €450 per room in season (estimated)
May, July – September
The 4 months the weather is kindest. Shoulder dates soften the light and the rates.
Figures are estimates, modeled from regional rates and public sources, not a quote from the venue. Once the venue claims this page, their own rates take precedence.
Asked along the way.
How many guests can Convento do Espinheiro seat?+
Reported wedding capacity runs to about 250 guests, with banquet seating in the ballroom quoted as high as 300 in some listings. The cloister and the wine cellar handle smaller numbers. Confirm the layout and the exact seated figure with the hotel.
Can we marry in the church?+
The convent church, Our Lady of the Hawthorn, is on the property and is used for religious ceremonies. Catholic weddings need the Évora archdiocese to authorise it and paperwork lodged months ahead, so raise it at the first enquiry.
Is there enough accommodation for our guests?+
The hotel has 92 rooms and suites across the convent and a newer wing, which covers most guest lists in one place. Évora is ten minutes away and holds plenty more if you need overflow or cheaper options for younger guests.
What is there for guests to do?+
Évora is a UNESCO World Heritage town with a Roman temple, the chapel of bones, a cathedral you can climb and a dense set of restaurants. Alentejo wine estates are 20 to 40 minutes out, which makes an easy Friday activity for a group.
How far is Lisbon?+
About one hour twenty by car on the A6 motorway, which is the easiest run of any Alentejo venue in this collection. There is also a direct train from Lisbon Oriente to Évora in around 1 h 30, then a short taxi to the convent.
Others to weigh.
Ask about dates at Convento do Espinheiro.
A note to us with a rough season and guest count. Nothing is reserved until the venue confirms. A reply comes within two business days, from a person by name.