# Down the Guadiana: Beja to Castro Marim

> 3-day road trip of about 155 km (96 mi) with 7 stops, from Beja to Castro Marim Castle. About 2 h 08 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b3-guadiana/

**At a glance:** 3-day road trip of about 155 km (96 mi) with 7 stops, from Beja to Castro Marim Castle. About 2 h 08 min of driving in total. Along Portugal’s border river from the plains of Beja past waterfalls, a Moorish river town and an abandoned mine to the Algarve’s eastern edge.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 155 km (96 mi) |
| Driving | 2 h 08 min |
| Suggested days | 3 |
| Stops | 7 |
| Route | Beja → Castro Marim Castle |
| Countries | Portugal |
| Updated | August 9, 2026 |

## Route description

Begin in Beja, the main town of the lower Alentejo, with a tall castle keep. Drive east to Serpa, a whitewashed town famous for its sheep’s cheese, then take the gravel roads towards the Pulo do Lobo, where the Guadiana plunges through a narrow gorge. The last stretch is unpaved, so drive slowly, and allow time on foot.

Follow the N265 south to Mértola, a hill town above the Guadiana where the main church was once a mosque and a castle keeps watch. The town is a museum of Islamic Portugal; park by the river and walk up.

East of Mértola, the Mina de São Domingos is an abandoned copper mine with coloured pools and ruined buildings, and a river beach for swimming nearby. The N122 then runs south through empty hills; take the side road to Alcoutim, a quiet village facing its Spanish twin across the river.

End at Castro Marim near the river mouth, where a castle overlooks salt pans and a nature reserve with flamingos. This route is ideal for camper vans, with quiet riverside spots and aires in several villages; avoid the heat of July and August, and come in spring for wild flowers.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Beja** (Portugal)
2. **Serpa** (Portugal)
3. **Pulo do Lobo** (Mértola, Portugal): The Guadiana squeezes through a narrow rock gorge in a series of cascades, the “Wolf’s Leap”. It is reached by long gravel roads from the Serpa or Mértola side; in dry summers the flow is modest.
4. **Mértola** (Portugal)
5. **Mina de São Domingos** (Mértola, Portugal): An abandoned copper mine with coloured acid pools, ruined works and a flooded pit, next to a village of miners’ cottages. A river beach nearby is popular for swimming in summer.
6. **Alcoutim** (Portugal)
7. **Castro Marim Castle** (Castro Marim, Portugal): A castle above the salt pans of the Guadiana estuary, once the seat of the Order of Christ. Flamingos feed in the nature reserve around the town.