| Country |  Portugal |
|---|---|
| Region | Alentejo |
| District | Setúbal |
Alcácer do Sal is a picturesque village in the Alentejo region that is definitely worth a visit. If you’re travelling from Lisbon to Comporta, taking a detour to Alcácer do Sal is highly recommended. This stopover will give you the opportunity to explore one of Portugal’s oldest towns, situated on the right bank of the Sado River. The town is famous for its many historic landmarks and for the stunning rice fields that stretch out as far as the eye can see.
Alcácer do Sal is a town steeped in history, enclosed by castles, and featuring ancient cobblestone streets that have withstood the test of time. The town is located in the Setúbal region, nestled along the banks of the Sado River. Wrought-iron balconies adorn buildings that overlook the river, beneath which you can find a variety of cafes and restaurants. While the Sado River flows peacefully, the imposing ramparts and towers serve as a reminder of a time when Alcácer do Sal, like many other hilltop towns in Portugal, played a crucial role in territorial conflicts.
The name of the town, Alcácer do Sal, has Moorish roots and means “the castle of salt.” The second part of the name refers to the town’s longstanding salt industry. The surrounding land features cork trees, which are a typical sight in Portugal’s Alentejo region. These trees have a distinctive, gnarled appearance and are often used in the cork industry.
For countless generations, this rocky peninsula on the Sado River has been inhabited.
During the period of Moorish rule, Alcácer do Sal was a significant provincial stronghold. The town boasted a formidable keep and twenty turrets, each towering over 25 metres in height. However, by the sixteenth century, the fortress had become obsolete and was transformed into a monastery.
Over time, neglect and earthquakes took their toll, and the property fell into a state of disrepair. It wasn’t until the 1990s, when a pousada, or heritage hotel, was established, that the property was revived.
As you explore the upper levels of the monastery, take a moment to appreciate the vast, flat plains that stretch out along the river’s path. These plains are home to beautiful rice fields that are a defining feature of the region.
The castle in Alcácer do Sal has its origins in the Muslim era but was built on a site that the Romans had used as early as the sixth century for their own fortress. The castle features dozens of formidable towers, most of which are constructed from durable dressed stone. However, some of the towers and part of the encircling wall are made of mud, making it one of the few surviving examples of mud wall construction used for this purpose.
Atop the hill, you’ll find the Santa Maria do Castelo church, which was constructed after the Christian reconquest of the area in the 13th century. The site previously housed a pagan temple and later a mosque before being repurposed for the construction of the church.
Beneath the castle, there is an intricate network of underground tunnels that contain 27 centuries of history. As you wander through the tunnels, you’ll discover remnants of different civilizations that inhabited the area throughout history.
These tunnels, foundations, streets, and abandoned structures were discovered during the restoration of the castle in the 1990s. The oldest remains found in the tunnels date back to the Iron Age, around 700 BC. Subsequent civilizations followed, culminating with the Moors during the Middle Ages.
The displays within the tunnels showcase artefacts from each overlapping period, including busts, pottery, and statuettes. It’s a fascinating journey through time and a unique way to experience the rich history of Alcácer do Sal.
Igreja do Espirito Santo is another notable church in Alcácer do Sal, with a magnificent entryway that reflects the Manueline architectural style of the era in which it was built. It is believed that King Manuel married his second wife, the Spanish Infanta Maria, here. Inside the church, visitors can marvel at a spectacular crown-shaped font and explore the town’s archaeological museum, which features prehistoric artefacts discovered in the local area.
In addition to the churches and museums, Alcácer do Sal also boasts Roman ruins that were discovered in the 1980s, providing insight into the town’s ancient past. Visitors can also explore the Sado Estuary Natural Reserve, which is home to a variety of animals and birds and features wetlands that are a must-see for nature enthusiasts.
The Santa Maria do Castelo church is located in the city square of Alcácer and was founded in 1217 after the reconquest of the city. The Church of Santiago features blue-tiled friezes depicting saints’ lives from the 18th century, and the Chapel of the Eleven Thousand Virgins in the 16th-century Convent of Santo Antonio is a unique example of Renaissance architecture in Portugal.
The Santa Maria do Castelo church is located inside the castle’s walled perimeter and has elements of Gothic, Manueline, and Baroque architecture. The ornate stone pulpit, which features a carving of an archangel that supports it, was built in the 1700s. The nave walls were tiled during this period, and the chapels were adorned with ornate gilded woodcarving.
The church’s modified Gothic spire is home to a stork’s nest, a common sight in many of the larger structures in the estuary.
The Sado River begins in the city of Beja and flows for 180 kilometres from east to west. It eventually reaches the vast estuary after passing through Alcácer do Sal. This estuary has been designated a natural reserve, yet there is still a fishing village thriving there. Fishermen coexist with a group of dolphins that inhabit the calm, salty waters. The area along the riverbank is adorned with rice fields, while drier regions are dotted with pine and cork oak trees. Visitors can observe remnants of old salt ponds and enjoy peaceful walks under the expansive sky, watching birds such as storks nesting on rooftops and electrical pylons.
To immerse yourself in the culture of the Sado Estuary, one approach is to learn about its rice-growing heritage. An old rice husking station in Comporta has been converted into a museum and café situated next to a sea of rice fields. Along with the husking machine in the old factory’s centre, the museum exhibits how this remote location was self-sufficient, showcasing a blacksmith forging harvesting implements and a farrier shoeing the workhorses ploughing the fields.
If you’re looking for more secluded white-sand beaches, after visiting Praia do Comporta, you can continue up the peninsula for miles until you reach the tourist resort at the northern tip. On the ocean side, the beaches seem endless, with human settlements few and far between. Catching the sunset behind the Serra da Arrábida is an unforgettable experience, if you’re lucky enough to see it.
All of the beaches are suitable for swimming, but the one near the tip of the peninsula is exceptional. Praia de Tróia, with its sugar-white sand and facing the estuary, feels like a tropical island. Although the water can be quite cold, it is calm, safe, and crystal clear.
If you continue past the western outskirts of Alcácer do Sal, you will reach the chapel of Santuário Do Senhor Dos Mártires. The chapel was constructed in the 1200s for the Order of Santiago’s knights and served as the order’s pantheon or funerary chapel. The chapel features strong Gothic influences, including buttresses, vaults, and traceried windows.
The site of the chapel has a rich history, having served as a burial ground since the Iron Age and as an early Christian hermitage during Roman times.
As you travel along the south shore of the Sado Estuary, you will encounter a series of wooden piers that are connected to crooked-looking posts. These charming structures extend far out into the water and were built by fishermen to aid in the launch of their boats during low tide.
Some of these posts have basic wooden cottages and boats tied to them, while others have completely collapsed, leaving only a column of skeletal piles protruding from the water. These piers date back to the 1950s and 1960s, and the vast open sky, rickety piles, crystal-clear water, and marshy vegetation create incredible opportunities for photography.
