Up into the hills of Portugal

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Geo: 37.6389, -7.66216

Today we headed north into the hills of southern Portugal. Our first destination is the small riverside village of Alcoutim. Here there are the remains of a 14th century castle which overlooks Alcoutim and the Guadiana River. Across the river on the Spanish side of the river lies another castle overlooking the Spanish village of Sao Lucas do Guadiana. These are visible reminders of the times when Portugal and the Castile were at war with each other.

We enjoyed a coffee and a few custard tarts before venturing to the medieval castle. We walked along the castle walls and then visited a museum inside the castle walls. The museum had displays showing the historical path of the city from its inception over 500 years ago. There was also an exhibition of Islamic board games and rocks found in the region.

We left Alcoutim and headed out on a gravel road to find some menhirs. A menhir is a large upright standing stone. After a bit of searching we found a group of two on a low hilltop. There are suggestions that these had astronomical significance.

The next village we visited was called Mertola with a beautiful view of its castle overlooking the village. We found a cafe outside the castle walls and stopped for fresh lemonade and a sandwich. Mertola castle is well preserved and we enjoyed walking its high walls. We also enjoyed a film about the castle and its past.

The drive home through the countryside showed large plantations of Umbrella Pine, the source of pine nuts. This southern area of Portugal is very different from southern Spain.

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Photos

River beside Alcoutim

Jim at Alcoutim castle