Alcoutim & Mértola

On Thursday we took a break from the beach and headed north to the small village of Alcoutim which borders the Guadiana River. When you look across the river, you are looking right at Spain and the mirror village of Sanlúcar de Guadiana. It was such a funny feeling to know we were standing in Portugal and looking out into Spain!! We spent the morning walking around the castle, church, and pretty cobblestone streets. We unfortunately were unable to go into the castle as the entrance fee was €2.51 and all we had were larger bills and no change and the ticket lady would not accept our larger bills as she had no change! It was very strange, but I have learned my lesson to keep some extra change in the car!

¡Hola!   Sanlúcar de Guadiana, Spain — ¡Hola! Sanlúcar de Guadiana, Spain

We then headed further north to Mértola, a medieval town, also bordering the Guadiana River and surrounded by the Parque Natural Vale do Guardiana. The town has beautiful white houses set upon a hill with narrow and winding streets. We were able to walk around this castle (entry was free!) and the picturesque church which at one point was a mosque. It was nice being able to wander the streets and enjoy the views of the countryside.