Rio Guadiana

From Vila Real de Santo Antonio, at the Atlantic Ocean on the banks of the River Guadiana, you travel northwards to Castro Marim where there is a large Nature Reserve where amongst others thousands of Flamingo´s spend their time feeding. Further upriver at Alamo there is an old Roman Village and the remains of Roman river works. A local museum at Guerreiros Do Rio tells the story of the river and the fishermen who work from its shore. The history of the border village of Alcoutim has always been linked to the river and it looks directly across to its Spanish neighbour, Sanlúcar de Guadiana. Visit the restored Castle which is an archaeological museum and the Church of St Salvador.


When you are alone on the way up the Rio Guadiana you get the feeling you're on expedition into something like the Orinoco, then suddenly a few other yachts are there as well: there are two villages here. The Portuguese one is called Alcoutim. The Spanish castle above the town is straight out of the Foreign Legion and looks very impressive. It's high on the hillside and dominates the area. In the villages storks are feeding their young on great nests on the bright white washed red roofed houses.