Alcoutim: Castle
Ruin of a fortress on the Rio Guadiana opposite Sanlucar de Guadiana
The castle, erected in the 14th Century, bears witness to the armed conflicts between the Algarve, Portugal and neighbouring Spain in former times. Alcoutim is located at the place where the Guadiana river becomes tidal, so people wanting to ship their goods had to wait here, until the conditions allowed them to sail down the river. Thus structures to support and defend this business where needed.
During the 17th Century it was fortified to cope with the increasing artillery threat and only in 1878 was its military use terminated. Today, the castle is host to a museum, exhibiting the remains of the old walls and archaeological findings.
