PORTUGAL TRAVEL - VILA REAL DE SANTO ANTÓNIO

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Portugal > Travel > Algarve > Vila Real de Santo António
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Vila Real de Santo António Golf
Castro Marim Golf Course
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Quinta do Vale Golf Course

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Town Map · Castro Marim Map

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Vila Real de Santo António Wines
Algarve Wines


Vila Real de Santo António - History
The origin of the town was as a small fishing port and dates back to Phoenician times when the "Conii" tribe populated the area. Due to the topographical flatness of the area the neighbouring hill of Castro Marim lent itself to a stronger location to fortify. This frontier town with Spain was especially designed and rebuilt after the terrible earthquake of 1755 by the Marquês de Pombal, an very influential Royal Minister in the 18th Century who redesigned the centre of the City of Lisbon due to the same earthquake. (Visit - Portugal History)

Vila Real de Santo António - Description
Today, these townhouses around the main square are showing serious degradation with the passing of time. With the construction just to the north of the town of a new bridge in 1991 across the River Guadiana provides rapid connecting with Seville and the rest of Spain. The obvious diminishing of the popularity of this town will have further effect if steps are not shortly taken. Between the town and the Ocean is a popular beach resort area named Monte Gordo that offers the tourist kilometres of sea washed beach lined with a pine forest and safe bathing.

The population of approximately 14,000 inhabitants tend to gain their living either working in the tourist industry, fishing, or, trading across the river with their Spanish neighbours. Attached to the Town Hall is a small but interesting museum which is mainly focused on the designs for tins for packaging in the fishing industry. It is a very pleasant and relaxing experience to cross the river by the original ferryboats and visit the Spanish town of Ayamonte. Visitors can take a boat trip upriver to the charming small unspoilt Portuguese town of Alcoutim.

Vila Real de Santo António - Nearby Locations
North of Vila Real de Santo António is Castro Marim that due to its location has played a considerable part in the history of Portugal. This later town was originally chosen as the founding headquarters in 1319 of the 14th Century movement of the Order of Christ. Although the buildings are now in ruins from the effects of the 1755 earthquake it still has the unusual feature of having a castle built within a castle. In the 17th Century a stronger and more defensive stronghold was built on a hilltop just to the north that also still remains. The castle acted as a well-known haven to escapees in the early days from the Spanish Religious Inquisition until the Portuguese also introduced their own Religious Inquisition. From the walls of the castles the view is to the south across the flat lands that are now a nature reserve for birds and plants and this area is known as the Reserva Natural do Sapal.

Near to Vila Real de Santo António are the holiday destinations of Manta Rota, Monte Gordo and Praia Verde, all purpose built to provide accommodation for visitors to the long sandy beaches.

Inland, and up river is the interior small unspoilt administrative town of Alcoutim with its ruins of two castles that date back to the Moor occupation of the Algarve, and of which one that is even older dating back at least 1000 years. The King Dinis rebuilt the main castle in 14th Century but it was liberated from Moor occupation in 1238. This small town looks across the River Guadiana at the Spanish town of Sanlúcar and has a local museum. It was at this town that Dom Fernando I signed in 1371 an important Peace treaty with Don Henrique II de Castile. Even further up river is the town of Mértola with its 13th Century castle ruins. The Phoenicians founded this historic town as an inland port, later successfully used by both the Romans and Moors. Perched on a high spur overlooking the River Guadiana this town has many vestiges of the past and a museum housing one of Portugal's best collections of Islamic art.

Back on the coast the small beachside village of Cacela-a-Velha dates back to Phoenician times and has an 18th Century Fort that overlooks a small natural lagoon between itself and the protecting sandbar.

Vila Real de Santo António Weather (detailed)
Detailed Altura weather conditions


Vila Real de Santo António Photographs
Rural Houses - Castro Marim - Monte Gordo - Main Square - Mértola Castle

Vila Real de Santo António Events

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Feira de Vila R. de Sta. António February
Festival do Teatro (Theatre) April
Municipal Holiday 13th of May
Festival da Musica May and June
Festas do Coração Imaculado de Maria (Altura) Last weekend in May
Rota do Atum (Tuna Fish) July
Festival de Folklore September
Festa de Alcoutim (Alcoutim) September
Feira de São Bartolomeu (Castro Marim) September
Days Medievalist (Castro Marim) September
Festival de N. Senhora das Dores (Monte Gordo) September
Beach Fair 10th to 12th October
Flea Market 13th of every month
Flea Market - (Monte Gordo) 27th of every month

V. R. de Stº António Telephone Nº

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Town Hall 281 511 030
Fire Brigade 281 512 777
Police 281 430 660
Emergency Treatment 281 511 374
Ambulance 281 512 777
Tourist Office (Alcoutim) 281 546 179
Tourist Office (Castro Marim) 281 531 232
Tourist Office (Monte Gordo) 281 544 495
Tourist Office (Ponte Guadiana) 281 531 800
Tourist Office (V. R. de Sto. António) 281 542 100
SOS 112
Support to Tourists 800 296 296
Railways (CP) - www.cp.pt 808 208 208

Vila Real de Santo António Facts

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Postal Code 8900
Inhabitants 8.200

Distances between each Tourist Town in Kms.
Distances in Kms.

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Algarve Towns
Albufeira · Almancil · Alvor · Armação de Pera · Carvoeiro · Faro · Lagoa · Lagos · Loulé · Monchique · Olhão · Portimão · Quarteira · Quinta do Lago · Sagres · Silves · Tavira · Vale do Lobo · Vila Real de Santo António


Mertola Castle

Village Cottages

Castro Marim

Vila Real de Santo António Square

Monte Gordo Beach




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