Mourão

On the left bank of the Guadiana, facing the Spanish frontier, the town of Mourão keeps its castle on the hill’s edge: walls and towers over the river, tied to one of the Alentejo’s best-known legends, and below it the broad waters of the Alqueva lake.

The castle of Salúquia

Taken from the Moors in the twelfth century and confirmed to the crown under D. Dinis, who strengthened the border works, the castle took its present shape in the fourteenth century under D. Afonso IV, a trapezoid of walls and towers on the river bluff. The legend of the moura Salúquia — the bride who threw herself from the walls when her bridegroom’s head was thrown before the gate — gives the place its romantic fame, and the church of Nossa Senhora das Candeias stands inside the line of the walls.

The lake, the beach and the stars

Below the town the Alqueva reservoir spreads along the frontier — the largest artificial lake in Europe — and Mourão’s river beach, a short walk from the castle, holds a blue flag with lawns, shade and lifeguards in summer. The whole territory lies inside the certified Dark Sky Alqueva reserve: on clear nights the castle’s yard becomes a stargazing terrace, and boat trips and kayaks work the lake’s calm arms. The walled village of Monsaraz stands across the water, and the frontier city of Mértola continues south down the Guadiana.

What to see

• The castle walls and towers over the Guadiana
• The church inside the line of the walls
• The blue-flag river beach of the Alqueva
• The stargazing of the Dark Sky reserve
• The legend country of Salúquia on the frontier

Practical information

Mourão lies in the Évora district, in the Baixo Alentejo, on the border roads between Reguengos de Monsaraz and the Guadiana. Summer heat is severe on the plain: carry water, plan stargazing for late evening, and check the official websites before setting out.

Image credit: Vista geral da muralha e da entrada do castelo de Mourão by Senhormario — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.