River Guadiana & Alcoutim

Hermitage of Our Lady of Conception

One of the nice things about the Algarve is that the tourist areas do not extend far inland a short drive inland means that you are soon in the countryside where nothing much seems to have changed for years.

The River Guadiana forms part of the border between Spain and Portugal and there is a nice country road from the A27 that taking you through the hills, beyond the dam and which runs along the river up to Alcoutim. An easy way to find the river road is to take the turning off the A27 signposted Foz de Odeleite.

Alcoutim castle

The River does not appear to be used for any commercial purpose anymore but  there is  an assortment of private vessels which appear to overwinter on the river. You can also take a river cruise from Vila Real de San Antonio. From Alcoutim you can take a private charter for a few days too.

There is a small boat museum at  Guerreiros do Rio where there is a fine display of model boats as well as a video presentation. The museum indicates that the river was once a busy place not only for fishermen but also for Customs on the look out for smugglers. The old Customs House is in Alcoutim near the river crossing, it now houses the tax office.

As well as the museum there is a nice little cafe alongside the river where you can get a drink and a snack and where there's a wifi hotspot.

The interior of the Castle

Alcoutim itself is a pretty little town with a castle a church and a monastery. At the river side and in the tiny town square there are a number of little cafes and restaurants. There is also a ferry service if you are tempted to slip over to  the mirror village of Sanlucar de Guadiana  for a bite of something Spanish to eat.

There has been a fortification at Alcoutim for a couple of thousand years with the Romans having an impact in developing the area as a military base. in the former gunpowder of the castle there is a display  (Timeless Games) of stone games boards (a bit like 9 Men Morris) from this period.

Sanlucar de Guadiana

Alcoutim is only 79ft above sea level but the town suffered badly during the great flood of  1876 and in the town square there is a plaque showing just how high the water got. The town square particularly suffered during this flood and today with the rebuilding is not much of a square at all  but it does have a nice water feature.

We have been to Alcoutim a couple of times and of course from here you can go on to Mertola and Castro Verde for starters but that's for another entry another time.