Castro Marim is a municipality on the border with Spain, with 6 439 inhabitants across 301 km², on the right bank of the Rio Guadiana.
The town sits between two hills, one with a castle and one with a fort, above the salt marshes of the Guadiana estuary.
Beaches in Castro Marim
- Altura (2 106 inhabitants · 11 km²): coastal parish with family beaches of warm water and white sand, including Praia da Alagoa.
- Praia Verde: beach backed by stone pines.
- Albufeira de Odeleite: designated inland beach on the Odeleite reservoir.
Monuments in Castro Marim
- Castelo de Castro Marim: castle on a hill above the Guadiana.
- Forte de São Sebastião: fort built during the Restoration War of the 17th century on the opposite hill, on the site of a former chapel.
- Estátua do Cavaleiro Medieval: iron sculpture of a mounted knight near the Igreja de Santiago.
Nature in Castro Marim
- Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim e Vila Real de Santo António: created in 1975, the first nature reserve in Portugal, with salt marshes, salt pans and tidal channels at the mouth of the Guadiana, and a major birdwatching site.
- Barragem de Odeleite: reservoir in the parish of Odeleite, whose outline, seen from above, resembles a dragon, which gave it the name "Blue Dragon".
Golf in Castro Marim
- Castro Marim Golfe: three courses, Atlantic, Guadiana and Grouse, with views over the Guadiana.
- Quinta do Vale: course set in the natural relief of the hills.
Parishes of Castro Marim
- Altura: the coastal parish.
- Odeleite (576 inhabitants · 142 km²) and Azinhal (479 inhabitants · 68 km²): inland parishes along the Guadiana.
Places to visit in the Algarve