🚘 After a failed attempt to visit the salt mines of Tavira and a short walk around the city, we decided to spontaneously continue exploring eastern Algarve. We chose two interesting towns on the map: Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António. Our first stop was Castro Marim, and here’s why it interested us.
🏺 one of the Oldest Corners of Portugal
Castro Marim is a small town, almost unnoticeable on the map, which nevertheless boasts a history spanning thousands of years. Archaeologists claim that the area was inhabited as early as 5000 BC. In the Middle Ages, this place had strategic importance: as an outpost on the border with Spain and as a center for land settlement during the Portuguese Reconquista (various incentives were even offered to settlers who decided to move to Castro Marim).
💠 Interesting fact: Castro Marim was the first headquarters of the Knights Templar in Portugal. However, not for long: soon after the dissolution of the order, its property and functions were transferred to another religious order.
🐦 Birds We Didn’t See
This area is known as one of the best places in the Algarve for birdwatching. Especially flamingos! But it all depends on the season and luck. In February, the flamingos decided to ignore us (or we ignored them). So birdwatching remained a point for the future.
🧂 Traditional salt production
One of the most interesting points is the salt fields of Castro Marim. They still use traditional methods of salt extraction here, and on a clear day, you can see how the sun, water, and patience turn into white (or not so white) crystals. They say sometimes you can even taste the salt. And (surprise!) it’s salty 😊.
For those interested, there’s also a salt spa – a great idea if you want to combine tourism with relaxation.
🏰 the Castle We Didn’t See
We tried, of course… but we arrived during siesta time, and the castle was closed. Unfortunately, we couldn’t sit in a cafe or wait somewhere for it to open: in February, under drizzling rain, Castro Marim looked gloomy and lifeless, and we weren’t hungry yet after the filling “Tavira” croissants. We didn’t want to stay in this fog for an hour and a half, so we drove on to Vila Real de Santo António.
💡 What Did We Learn from this Trip?
- Siesta is real. Check the schedule of attractions in advance.
- Salt is interesting, especially if you’ve never seen how it’s extracted by hand.
- Weather is key to impressions. Even a beautiful place can seem gray and sad if it’s drizzling and everything is closed.
- Modern technology helps. I remember our first trips with my husband -teen years ago… paper maps, offline navigators on PDAs… the cold horror when encountering closed roads… And now: if something doesn’t work out in one place – we Google a bit, and we’re already moving on. Beautiful!
