Tourist information - Monte Gordo
Lying just 3 km into the west of frontier town Vila Real de Santo António, the formerly sleepy fishing village of Monte Gordo is the last in a long line of popular beach resorts in the Eastern Algarve.
Bright and cheerful, the town has developed considerably as a holiday destination lately, catering for Portuguese and foreign visitors alike.
Its fishing tradition lives on as wives in housecoats emerge from newly-built houses to obtain the very best of the fresh catch from local fishermen, who still ride bicycles throughout the streets to deliver their orders.
What to see
Opened in July 1996, the town’s glittering casino includes a modern gaming room, above 200 slot machines and a nightly floorshow. Monte Gordo Bay boasts the largest beach and warmest waters in the Algarve, thanks largely to its Mediterranean climate and favoured geographical location near to the mouth of the River Guardiana.
Studded with pines and lying open to the sea, its wide golden beach - one of the best on the southern coast of Portugal - stretches as far as the eye can see.
Nearby. Running into the Atlantic 3.2 km (2 miles) to the east of Monte Gordo, the River Guadiana has been a natural frontier for more than 2,000 years, originally forming the boundary between the Roman provinces of Lusitania (Portugal) and Baetica (southern Spain). Regular river cruises offer vacationers a taste of the tranquility found in this part of Portugal.
A short drive north of Monte Gordo lies Castro Marim, the first headquarters of the Military Order of Christ, heirs to the Templars in Portugal. Looking all over the Guadiana to Spain, the sandstone walls of its medieval castle enclose the ruins of an even older castle.
Ljao/jan/1v21