Description of the attraction
Alkotin is a small village located on a hill with cobblestone streets, small squares and paved sidewalks along the river.
Along the banks of the Guadiana River, on the banks of which the village is located, there are a lot of berths. In ancient times, merchant ships heading to the sea called at Alcotin to wait out the long tides of the sea. The river flows through the whole area, and Alcotin itself is surrounded by green hills. It is a very calm and beautiful place for long walks, especially in spring, when the local landscape is full of wildflowers of all shades.
Back in 2500 BC. Alcotine was known for deposits of copper, iron and manganese, and many copies existed during the Roman Empire. The ore minerals were smelted on site and then shipped along Guadiana in the Mediterranean.
Near the main square, near the river, is the church of San Salvador, built in the 16th century, which was later rebuilt more than once. The main attraction is the Fortaleza de Alcotin castle, which was built as a border fortress in the 14th century. The castle houses a museum where you can see the remains of old walls and archaeological finds. Before the castle became an architectural monument, it served as a slaughterhouse for cattle.
On the opposite side of the Guadiana River, directly opposite the Portuguese fortress, the ruins of the fortress are also visible. These two fortresses are reminiscent of the war between Portugal and Castile, which ended with the signing of an armistice agreement between King Fernando I and King Enrique right in the middle of the river on ships.
On the border of Alcotina and Castro Marin there are the ruins of another fortress. The fortress was built in the 17th century in order to protect the border of the Algarve (Alcotin is part of this region) and navigation along the Guadiana River.
