It is at the mouth of the Guadiana river, looking to one side and to the other of this “Great Southern River”, where one can witness the cultural heritage which highlights the geostrategic importance, once much desired by enemy kingdoms, pirates and corsairs. A natural border between Portugal and Castela, the Guadiana estuary is an authentic gateway through which products were brought from and to different destinations of the Iberian Expansion, such as the North of Africa and the West Indies. On both riverbanks defensive systems were erected with the purpose of protecting the population against wars, corsair and pirate attacks. Today we witness the interesting remnants of this constructed military heritage: castles, fortresses, towers and other defensive elements along a route which we can invite you to visit and fill the imagination.

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