| MONTE
GORDO |
Lying just 3 km to the west of frontier town Vila Real de Santo
António, the once sleepy fishing village of Monte Gordo
is the last in a long line of popular beach resorts in the Eastern
Algarve.
Bright and cheerful, the town has developed considerably as
a holiday destination in recent years, catering for Portuguese
and foreign visitors alike.
Its fishing tradition lives on as wives in housecoats emerge
from newly-built houses to receive the best of the fresh catch
from local fishermen, who still ride bicycles through the streets
to deliver their orders.
What to see. Opened in July 1996, the town’s glittering
casino features a modern gaming room, more than 200 slot machines
and a nightly floorshow. Monte Gordo Bay boasts the largest
beach and warmest waters in the Algarve, thanks largely to its
Mediterranean climate and favoured geographical location near
the mouth of the River Guardiana.
Studded with pines and lying open to the sea, its wide golden
beach – one of the finest along the southern coast of
Portugal – stretches as far as the eye can see.
Nearby. Running into the Atlantic 3.2 km (2 miles) to the east
of Monte Gordo, the River Guadiana has been a natural frontier
for more than 2,000 years, originally forming the boundary between
the Roman provinces of Lusitania (Portugal) and Baetica (southern
Spain). Regular river cruises offer visitors a taste of the
tranquillity to be found in this part of Portugal.
A short drive north of Monte Gordo lies Castro Marim, the first
headquarters of the Military Order of Christ, heirs to the Templars
in Portugal. Looking across the Guadiana to Spain, the sandstone
walls of its medieval castle enclose the ruins of an even older
castle. |
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| © 2007 Maisturismo |
