Abre num novo separador
Cidades e AldeiasAlentejo

Alcácer do Sal

A river town on the Sado with a castle, rice fields and a long history from the Phoenicians onwards.

The town of Alcácer do Sal above the Sado
  • The river and the rice fields of the surrounding plain.
  • The town’s archaeological remains, from the Phoenician and Roman periods.
  • Gastronomy and traditions

    The town is known for its rice, grown in the fields along the Sado, and for the fish and seafood of the estuary. Its festivals and fairs reflect the life of the river.

    Visiting Alcácer do Sal

    Alcácer do Sal is in the Alentejo, about 90 kilometres south of Lisbon, reached by road. For the castle and local services, check the official website before your visit.

    Visitor information: cm-alcacerdosal.pt.

    Image credit: Alcácer do Sal, Portugal, by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

  • The historic centre, with its old houses and churches.
  • The river and the rice fields of the surrounding plain.
  • The town’s archaeological remains, from the Phoenician and Roman periods.
  • Gastronomy and traditions

    The town is known for its rice, grown in the fields along the Sado, and for the fish and seafood of the estuary. Its festivals and fairs reflect the life of the river.

    Visiting Alcácer do Sal

    Alcácer do Sal is in the Alentejo, about 90 kilometres south of Lisbon, reached by road. For the castle and local services, check the official website before your visit.

    Visitor information: cm-alcacerdosal.pt.

    Image credit: Alcácer do Sal, Portugal, by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

  • The castle and its walls, with views over the Sado.
  • The historic centre, with its old houses and churches.
  • The river and the rice fields of the surrounding plain.
  • The town’s archaeological remains, from the Phoenician and Roman periods.
  • Gastronomy and traditions

    The town is known for its rice, grown in the fields along the Sado, and for the fish and seafood of the estuary. Its festivals and fairs reflect the life of the river.

    Visiting Alcácer do Sal

    Alcácer do Sal is in the Alentejo, about 90 kilometres south of Lisbon, reached by road. For the castle and local services, check the official website before your visit.

    Visitor information: cm-alcacerdosal.pt.

    Image credit: Alcácer do Sal, Portugal, by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    • The castle and its walls, with views over the Sado.
    • The historic centre, with its old houses and churches.
    • The river and the rice fields of the surrounding plain.
    • The town’s archaeological remains, from the Phoenician and Roman periods.

    Gastronomy and traditions

    The town is known for its rice, grown in the fields along the Sado, and for the fish and seafood of the estuary. Its festivals and fairs reflect the life of the river.

    Visiting Alcácer do Sal

    Alcácer do Sal is in the Alentejo, about 90 kilometres south of Lisbon, reached by road. For the castle and local services, check the official website before your visit.

    Visitor information: cm-alcacerdosal.pt.

    Image credit: Alcácer do Sal, Portugal, by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    • The castle and its walls, with views over the Sado.
    • The historic centre, with its old houses and churches.
    • The river and the rice fields of the surrounding plain.
    • The town’s archaeological remains, from the Phoenician and Roman periods.

    Gastronomy and traditions

    The town is known for its rice, grown in the fields along the Sado, and for the fish and seafood of the estuary. Its festivals and fairs reflect the life of the river.

    Visiting Alcácer do Sal

    Alcácer do Sal is in the Alentejo, about 90 kilometres south of Lisbon, reached by road. For the castle and local services, check the official website before your visit.

    Visitor information: cm-alcacerdosal.pt.

    Image credit: Alcácer do Sal, Portugal, by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    On a hill above the River Sado, Alcácer do Sal is one of the oldest towns in Portugal. Its castle, its riverside setting and the rice fields of the surrounding plain give it a character of its own, between the Alentejo and the estuary.

    History and identity

    The town was founded long before Portugal existed, with Phoenician and Roman roots, and was an important centre under Islamic rule, when it controlled the salt trade of the river. Its castle, later rebuilt by the Portuguese kings, still dominates the town.

    What to see and do

    • The castle and its walls, with views over the Sado.
    • The historic centre, with its old houses and churches.
    • The river and the rice fields of the surrounding plain.
    • The town’s archaeological remains, from the Phoenician and Roman periods.

    Gastronomy and traditions

    The town is known for its rice, grown in the fields along the Sado, and for the fish and seafood of the estuary. Its festivals and fairs reflect the life of the river.

    Visiting Alcácer do Sal

    Alcácer do Sal is in the Alentejo, about 90 kilometres south of Lisbon, reached by road. For the castle and local services, check the official website before your visit.

    Visitor information: cm-alcacerdosal.pt.

    Image credit: Alcácer do Sal, Portugal, by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    More to explore

    View all destinations
    A visit to the Ovibeja fair
    Festivais e Eventos

    Ovibeja

    The great agricultural fair of southern Portugal, held each spring in Beja.

    The Herdade do Esporão estate
    Experiências gastronômicas e de bebidas

    Herdade do Esporão

    A historic wine estate of the Alentejo, with vineyards, olive groves and a medieval tower.

    The cathedral of Évora
    Sítios e Edifícios Religiosos

    Sé de Évora

    The great Gothic cathedral of Évora, the largest medieval cathedral in Portugal.