Eastern Way
Mértola < > Amendoeira da Serra
Stage 3
In a region where hunting is the dominant activity with centuries of history, as in the entire municipality of Mértola, the wealth of fauna resources in Amendoeira da Serra is great. This is particularly emphasized during the Feira da Caça (Hunting Fair), in October.
Here, we breathe history and, on the way there, we go through the Via Romana XXII (Roman Road), through the forest of stone pines that accompany us. The Road belonged to the Itinerarium Antonini Augusti, the register of the Roman Empire stations and roads. Although it has progressively lost its route in successive private game reserves, from time to time it is still possible to discover some original sections.
Church of Mosteiro
Occupied since the Roman era, this small town preserves one of the oldest churches in the country, built in the Visigothic period to house a family-type monastery. It also preserves the essential part of the temple, with a vaulted main chapel and a unique nave. More recently, the complex has been adapted to residential and agricultural functions, which is why its transformation into a museum has privileged a collection of agricultural tools rescued in the locality.
The Municipality of Mértola is one of the main territories of Portugal’s hunting activity, and the one, among all through which the Way passes, where hunting takes prominence at all levels.Whenever you observe a signboard with the sign reproduced here (regardless of the text written on it), you will be in a hunting zone. In the period between the beginning of October and the end of December (or until the end of February, in some cases), you will often hear shots along the Way. This has led to the need to adapt the route in order to ensure the safety of travelers at any time of the year, requiring a greater length of road travel than it would be desirable. That’s why we highlight the need not to make detours or other incursions into hunting grounds during the period mentioned above.
The Iberian lynx is the most threatened carnivorous mammal in Europe and the most threatened feline in the world, due to the small number of animals and populations existing in nature and its limited area of distribution. The reintroduction of the Iberian lynx into Portugal began in 2015, and between 2015 and 2017, 27 animals were released in Vale do Guadiana as part of the LIFE Iberlince project, whose goal is to recover the historical distribution of the species. The harmonious coexistence of human activities and the viability of this wild cat in the Natural Park of Vale do Guadiana has not been easy, with frequent reports of road kills and other causes. Knowing and respecting the Iberian lynx and its habitat is, therefore, an essential aspect for environmental citizenship and an important contribution to its conservation and recovery of the species.
Landscape Interpretation Center of Amendoeira da Serra
Established in environmentally sensitive territory, the Interpretation Center for Amendoeira da Serra Landscape has information on the flora and fauna of the region, as well as on the human use of the Guadiana river and human occupation in the vast area, now almost desert, between Mértola and Beja.
and also…
Ethnobotanist Festival Pulo do Lobo − May
Hermitage of Salvador, current museum nucleus of Mosteiro
The small town of Mosteiro is located on the way to Pulo do Lobo, near Amendoeira da Serra. At one of its edges, slightly far away, there is a building that, due to its architectural characteristics, can be identified as a small cult building. In ancient times this place was a villa or mansion, and later, with the adoption of Christianity as the official religion, it was adapted into a family-type monastery. The hermitage of S. Salvador is probably a 17th-century construction and was already unoccupied in the 19th century.The importance of this building’s conservation led to the development of a recovery and enhancement project that culminated, in 2012, with its integration into the Museum of Mértola. The adaptation into the museum nucleus includes a set of contents and exhibition solutions that allow the visitor to fully understand the site. On the other hand, through the exhibition of agricultural tools offered by local inhabitants, it is also possible to connect the people, creating identity ties and promoting the collective memory preservation.
The beginning of the stage is signposted in the center of the village but, in fact, you can leave from any place as long as you head to the big north roundabout, which distributes the traffic on the national roads to Beja and Serpa.
We pass the roundabout, with the sculpture symbolizing a gateway into the Natural Park of Vale do Guadiana. We take the direction of the Azenha do Guadiana watermill – which you should not miss – and, at the end of the street, we enter the dirt track. Back on the road (first to IC27), after a bifurcation, a secondary road takes us to Corte Gafo de Cima, in a course of almost 10 km on the asphalt sideway. But don’t be discouraged! We follow the secondary road between undulating hills, in a protected area of the Natural Park of Vale do Guadiana, where the almost extinct Iberian lynx is still trying to be preserved. Urban noises fade away and the sounds of nature and rural life predominate. It is impossible not to notice the replacement of the riparian landscape by that of the large cereal steppes. In spring, we are not the only ones to be attracted by the sweet smell of rosemary and cistus. Among holm oaks, cork oaks and many sheep herds, we discover another gold product of the region, the honey.
We continue towards Corte Gafo de Cima, a typical Moorish village of Baixo (Low) Alentejo, where most of the houses are still built in “taipa” (adobe and wood), as shown by the memorial right at the entrance to the village. On the left we can see the Capela de São Bento, from the 16th century. At the request of the inhabitants, the Order of Santiago authorised the construction of this humble chapel in order to avoid the long journey to Mértola.
Distance 29 km
Maximum altitude 197 m
Cumulative increase 682 m
Cumulative descent -586 m
Duration 8h15m
Difficulty (0-5) 4
Before leaving, heat up with a glass of “hidromel” (mead) and try the local sweets, the delicious “costas” or “nogados”. After Corte de Gafe de Cima, we proceed to the Monastery. The landscape “absorbs us”, simultaneously inhospitable and beautiful, and awakens a mixture of emotions that hang between fascination and anxiety… Since we feel so irrelevant, we just want to disconnect…We continue with the taste of a “sea” of hills of continuous fields, painted with magnificent holm-oaks, passing through few “hills” in remote places, to the quiet village of Mosteiro, where we find one of the oldest churches in Portugal, built in the Visigothic period. We have a cup of coffee in the small tavern of the Centro Recreativo (Recreation Centre) and go down to the asphalted road, where we retake the Path in the direction of Amendoeira da Serra. After 2.5 km we arrive at the intersection with the road that took us to Corte Gafo de Cima and ends here. Dona Maria Oriette is already waiting for us at the cafe-restaurant of Centro Recreativo e Cultural de Amendoeira da Serra and we have a bed prepared at the Centro de Acolhimento (Reception Centre).
TIPS
Always carry water, supplies, sunscreen, a hat, waterproof, comfortable shoes, and a map.
SUPPORT
Táxis
Cafe/Restaurant Centro Recreativo e Cultural de Amendoeira da Serra
Cafe Centro Recreativo e Cultural de Mosteiro +351 286 998 247
WHERE TO SLEEP
Centro de Acolhimento da Amendoeira da Serra +351 286 610 000
Monte do Vento +351 286 610 000
PUBLIC ENTITIES
Mértola City Council
+351 286 610 109
HEALTH
Mértola Health Center
+351 286 610 900
Pharmacy
Points of Interest
Salvador Hermitage, Mosteiro Museological Nucleus
USEFUL CONTACTS
Emergency: 112
Forest Fires: 117
Mértola Fire Department: +351 286 610 010
GNR − National Republican Guard: +351 286 612 127
Mértola Civil Protection: +351 286 610 100
CODE OF CONDUCT
Do not leave the marked and signaled route. Do not approach cliffs. Pay attention to the markings. Do not dispose of organic or inorganic waste during the trail, take a bag for this purpose. If you see garbage, collect it, help us to keep the Paths clean. Beware of livestock, don’t bother the animals. Leave Nature intact. Do not collect plants, animals or rocks. Avoid making noise. Respect private property, close gates and barriers. Don’t light fires and be careful with cigarettes. Do not vandalize the Paths signage.
