Fort São Sebastião (Castro Marim)

Castro Marim is a freguesia (parish) in Castro Marim Municipality (Algarve, Portugal). The population in 2011 was 3,267, in an area of 79.35 km².

The Castle of Castro Marim is a medieval castle on a hilltop overlooking the civil parish of Castro Marim, in the municipality of the same name, in the Portuguese Algarve. The castle was part of the defensive line controlled by the Knights Templar, a stronghold used during the Portuguese Reconquista, and adapted during the Restoration War to defend the frontier. The castle is located in a unique landscape due to the proximity of salt and mouth of the Guadiana River. Within the castle fortification are two epigraphic inscriptions: one, the first to record a settlement established by a Portuguese monarch, while the second carving identifies the alterations occurring under the reign of King Denis.

Castro Marim (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈkaʃtɾu mɐˈɾĩ] ) is a town and a municipality in the southern region of Algarve, in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 6,747, in an area of 300.84 km2. The current mayor is Francisco Amaral, elected by the Social Democratic Party. The municipal holiday is June 24. In the Roman era, Castro Marim was known as Aesuris. Every year in the end of August there is a Medieval Fair/Festival that reunites many people from across the world to perform, like medieval musicians, archers, swordsmen, dancers, troupes, etc. There are sellers too: blacksmiths, textile crafters (weaving), herbs sellers, etc. In honour to his Portuguese mother, Lucia Gomes, from Castro Marim, Paco de Lucía - the Spanish composer and guitarist - named his thirteenth studio album Castro Marín.

Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Nature Reserve (Portuguese: Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim e Vila Real de Santo António) is a nature reserve in Portugal. It is a Ramsar wetland. It attracts visitors due to its diverse fauna, which comprises some 153 species of birds, including storks, avocets, sandpipers and flocks of flamingos, as well as more than 400 plant species and various reptiles, amphibians and mammals. In the spring of 2021, 550 flamingos were born at the natural reserve - a first for Portugal.

Monte Francisco is a small Portuguese town in the southern region of Algarve. It belongs to the municipality (concelho) of Castro Marim and is at a short distance from the border with Spain. Its population of around 700 fluctuates, depending on the time of year; in summer the population usually doubles. The town's economy is based mainly on tourism and real estate (the Golf Castro Marim Resort and the Golf Quinta do Vale are very close). The main tourist attractions of this town are its quiet environment, the hospitality of its people, its proximity to the beaches of Vila Real and Monte Gordo and its popular festivals, among which the Emigrant's Feast stands out. It is also the birthplace of Paco de Lucía's mother.

Vila Real de Santo António is the parish of Vila Real de Santo António Municipality, Algarve Region, that contains the city of Vila Real de Santo António. The population in 2011 was 11,946, in an area of 10.99 km². The city of Vila Real de Santo António is situated at the southeasternmost tip of Portugal. The city lies on one side of the mouth of the Guadiana River, at the point where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Spain lies on the opposite side of the river, and from there are directly facing Vila Real de Santo António the city of Ayamonte and its adjacent Isla Canela.

Vila Real de Santo António (pronounced [ˈvilɐ ʁiˈal d(ɨ) ˈsɐ̃t(u) ɐ̃ˈtɔnju] ) is a city, civil parish, and municipality in the Algarve, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 19,156, in an area of 61.25 km2. It is one of the few municipalities in Portugal without territorial continuity: its territory comprises two parts, with the municipal seat located in the eastern part. Vila Real de Santo António was founded after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, and largely expanded in 1774 using the same architectural and construction techniques employed in the reconstruction of Lisbon after the disaster. The city is situated next to the Guadiana river. Before the construction of the Guadiana International Bridge (in its neighboring upstream municipality of Castro Marim), it used to be the easiest access to Portugal from Andalusia (via ferry from the Spanish city of Ayamonte across the river). Nevertheless, international movement of people and goods is still intense and quite visible in the city.

Praia Verde Airstrip is a coastal airstrip in Castro Marim Municipality, Portugal, near the border with Spain. The airstrip appears abandoned. Google Earth 2006 historical imagery shows a maintained, unpaved runway in use. 2014 imagery shows the runway and ramp area overgrown with weeds and shrubs. As of 2023, there are indications of use by a gyrocopter operator. The region is served by Faro International Airport, (IATA: FAO, ICAO: LPFR), 48 kilometres (30 mi) southwest.

Monte Gordo is a town and a freguesia (parish) of the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, in the southeastern corner of Algarve, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 3,308, in an area of 4.22 km2. Formerly a fishermen's town, Monte Gordo's economy is nowadays oriented to tourism due to its sunny weather, long white sand beaches, trails in the surrounding pine woods, sand dunes, and seafood. Furthermore, the adjacent natural reserve - Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim e Vila Real de Santo António - attracts tourists due to its diverse fauna, which comprises some 153 species of birds, including storks, avocets, sandpipers and flocks of flamingos, as well as more than 400 plant species and various reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Its strategic location is also a plus, given that is located adjacent to the cities of Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim, as well as other nearby touristic attractions such as Cacela Velha and Tavira. Prior to the Carnation Revolution in 1974, Monte Gordo was a favorite destination for the Portuguese and Spanish aristocracies as well as famous people (e.g. Ingrid Bergman). Its Casino was built in 1934 and Hotel Vasco da Gama was the first grand hotel in Algarve (built in 1960). With democracy, Monte Gordo became a favorite summer destination for the Portuguese middle class. Monte Gordo beach is best known for its sunny weather all year round, as well as for its relatively calm and warm seawater. The average air temperature ranges from a low of 11 °C in January to a high of 26 °C in August, while the average sea temperature ranges from a low of 16 °C in February to a high of 22 °C between July and September, making this the maritime beach with the warmest sea in mainland Portugal. Another particularity of this beach is the fact that during the low tide one is able to walk 10 to 30 meters into the sea, making it one of the safest in Portugal for children. These conditions make it ideal for beach goers to collect clams lightly buried in the sand (locals call "conquilhas" to the local variety of edible Donax saltwater clams). Monte Gordo beach holds the Blue Flag quality certificate for more than 2 decades. Though most tourists are Portuguese during the summer, in the winter Monte Gordo is mostly visited by foreigners from Northern Europe looking for a warm vacation destination. Given the nearby VRSA Sports Complex, accredited by IAAF and home of the Portuguese Olympic Committee, Monte Gordo is also a popular destination for international athletes during the winter. There are also several Dutch and Irish bars as well as restaurants (mostly owned by expatriates from those countries) alongside the traditional Portuguese venues. The main festivity in Monte Gordo is the Nossa Senhora das Dores Procession, a catholic celebration held on the second Sunday of September. Its new year and carnival festivities are also well-known. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, the county of Vila Real de Santo António (where Monte Gordo is located) has been one of the safest in Portugal due to the knowledgeable and alert citizenry of locals and tourists, recording up to October 26th 2020, merely 126 positive cases according to government data.

The Vila Real de Santo António lighthouse is located on the right bank of the river Guadiana, in Vila Real de Santo António, in the Algarve region of Portugal.