Discovering Mértola, the museum village that hugs the Guadiana River

Beautiful inside and out. With a silhouette marked by the Guadiana River and the medieval castle, Mértola is proud of its Moorish past and the traces left by different civilizations. The town is an open-air museum, which can be discovered by walking through the historic center.

Outside the historic center of the town, there are Minas de São Domingos and the town, where Casa do Mineiro is worth a visit. Here you can follow the Mineral Route, which surprises with the magnitude of the ruins of the old industrial complex, in a fascinating scenic landscape. It is next to this village that Albufeira and Tapada Grande River Beach are located. From Mértola Nautical Station you can book a river trip with the company Beira Rio Náutica. It is on the slope of Penha D’Águia, that the river flows into the table, through the hammocks of Sérgio Valente, the face and soul of the O Pescador do Guadiana restaurant. Another mandatory stop in the Guadiana Valley Natural Park is Pulo do Lobo, a crevice through which the waters of the river, which divides the municipalities of Mértola and Serpa, rush. This place integrates the suggestions of Green Walk this week.

With the wall and the castle of Mértola as a frame, it is possible to sleep across the river, at Quinta do Vau, an accommodation unit that also stands out for the contagious friendliness of its hosts.