Salinas de Castro Marim

In the marshlands of the Guadiana, at the eastern edge of the Algarve, the salt pans of Castro Marim carry on one of the oldest industries of the region. Between the river and the sea, the shallow pans hold the water that the sun and the wind turn into salt — harvested, as for centuries, in the traditional way.

History and character

Salt has been made in these marshes since antiquity, and the pans of Castro Marim were prized through the ages for the quality of their salt — including the delicate flor de sal, gathered by hand from the surface of the water. The old salt warehouses still mark the landscape, and the pans work within the great protected wetland of the reserve.

What to discover

• The salt pans and their pyramids of gleaming salt.
• The traditional harvest, by hand, during the salt season.
• The birdlife of the marshes, between the pans and the reserve.
• The fortresses and streets of Castro Marim above the marshlands.

Visiting

The salt pans lie beside Castro Marim, in the eastern Algarve, reached by road. Some active salt pans welcome visitors — conditions vary with the season and the working of the salt; check with the municipality before your visit.

Nearby

Het Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim surrounds the pans, and the riverside town of Alcoutim lies upstream on the Guadiana.

Information: cm-castromarim.pt.

Image credit: Salinas de Castro Marim, by Marc Ryckaert, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.