Vila Real de Santo António stands on the right bank of the Guadiana, just before its mouth, at the eastern end of the Algarve and opposite the Spanish town of Ayamonte. It is unique in Portugal: it was designed on paper and built in a few months in 1774 at the behest of the Marquis of Pombal, on the same rational model used to rebuild Lisbon's Baixa after the earthquake.
Pombal's town
Pombal wanted to reassert Portuguese control over the border and over tuna and sardine fishing, until then dominated by Spanish fishermen and smugglers. He had pre-cut stone shipped from Lisbon and designed a grid town of straight streets and regular blocks. At its centre is Praça Marquês de Pombal, paved in black and white calçada radiating around an obelisk, surrounded by low buildings and the mother church. Strolling the pedestrian shopping streets, popular with Spanish visitors, and along the river is the best way to get to know it. The cultural centre hosts exhibitions and the memory of the canning industry that was once so important here.
Ayamonte and the Guadiana
Ferries to Ayamonte, in Spain, leave from the quay: a short river trip lets you change country, and time zone, in a quarter of an hour; to the north, the international bridge links the two countries' motorways. River cruises also sail up the Guadiana towards Alcoutim, between hills and border villages.
Monte Gordo and the beaches
A few kilometres away is Monte Gordo, a resort with a long beach of fine sand and one of the warmest seas in Portugal, thanks to its closeness to the Mediterranean. Behind it stretches the Mata Nacional das Dunas Litorais, a pine forest planted to hold the dunes, crossed by trails and cycle paths. To the west the coast continues with quiet beaches such as Praia Verde, Altura and Manta Rota, towards Tavira.
Getting there
Vila Real de Santo António is the eastern terminus of the regional Algarve railway, about an hour from Faro. Nearby is Castro Marim with its castle and salt pans.