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Car Hire in Vila Real de Santo António,
Algarve
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Vila Real de Santo António Information
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.
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
- Golf
Please visit Portugal Golf for essential golfing information.
Vila Real de Santo António
- Taxi
Faro Airport Taxi > Vila Real de Santo António
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
- Map
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