Serpa

Famous for its creamy cheeses, Serpa is a sleepy agricultural hilltop town of white houses. The town itself, which is walled, was founded in 400 BC by the Turdelos. Known to the Romans by the same name, Serpa was later conquered by Geraldo Sempavor in 1166, taken again by the Moors and finally regained in 1232. Visitors to Serpa are sometimes serenaded by the town's traditional singers, who are genuine descendants of medieval troubadours. What to see: The convent church of Santo António has a small cloister and flamboyant 18th century azulejo glazed tile panels depicting the life of St Francis. Of Moorish origin, Serpa's castle was rebuilt by King Dinis in the late 13th century, but badly damaged during the Spanish invasion in 1707.