Getting to Know the

Castro Marim Area

No. of inhabitants 6,93
Area 300,0 (Km2)

The Vastnesses of the "Serra" (Uplands)

Looking out from Castro Marim castle you see the sea on one side and on the other the rounded shapes of hills stretching away to the horizon.
These are the uplands of the interior and they issue a silent challenge to everyone who is at home in wide, open spaces, who takes pleasure in bird-watching or likes to walk or cycle, who appreciates the bounty of the natural world.
The roads that lead into the hills are punctuated by tiny hamlets of low, white houses, surrounded by fields of crops, the cool expanse of the lakes formed by the Beliche and Odeleite dams, and the silhouettes of ancient windmills perched on the hill tops.
Then there is the Guadiana river, winding its way through the empty spaces of the hinterland, on whose banks stands the picturesque village of Almada de Ouro, which takes its name from the gold that was once mined there.
Situated amidst hills, with a murmuring river for company, Odeleite is a tiny oasis of verdure in a landscape dominated by the dusty browns of the local schist.

Within the white walls of its church are some fine statues dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. The Pleasures of Sun and Sea Retur, Verde, Cabeço e Alagoa Joined by a long, broad strip of sand surrounded by the green of pinewoods, the three beaches are equiped with support facilities.

Treasures of Craftsmanship
The villages dotted across the hills, and Castro Marim itself, continue old traditions of craft work that preserve the memory of life in the Algarve in days gone, making little treasures that are all the more precious because they represent the real art of the people.

In Castro Marim the women-folk sit at round cushions to which a design is pinned, their hands moving like quicksilver to weave a fine thread between the pins to make the most delicate lace. In Altura and Furnazinhas there are women who transform palm and "esparto", a type of coarse grass, into useful objects, ranging from sun hats to colourful matting to lay on the floor. Another tradition preserved by the women of the Algarve, in this case in Monte Francisco, Junqueira and Monte dos Matos, is the production of traditional brooms and brushes using leaves from a diminutive variety of palm tree that grows wild on the hills.
For their part, the men-folk take fine strips of the reeds that grow on the banks of the Guadiana and other rivers of the region to make baskets that are strong but light.

Odeleite, in particular, is known for its basketware, but the artisans of Furnazinhas, Funchosa, Forte do Penedo, Alta Mor, Corte Pequena, Corte Velha, Vale do Pereiro, Tenencio and Casa Alta are also highly skilled in this domain. In contrast, there is only one cobbler who still makes the traditional style footwear of the region; he lives in Furnazinhas.

The Delights of Local Cooking
Castro Marim’s cuisine is as varied as its landscape. From the sea come fresh shrimp and sea bream, sea bass and other fish that make a tasty meal grilled and served with salad. From the river come freshwater species, like grey mullet and others that are equally delicious cooked to traditional recipes. The salt marsh is rich in crabs, and the hills offer succulent dishes made with pork, broad beans and peas, as well as refreshing “gaspacho” for the hot days of summer. As far as desserts and pastries are concerned, it is worth leaving room for the "bolo de rnassa" made in Azinhal, a cake flavoured with cinnamon and anise, and "filhós", a typical Algarvean treat. And the best way to round off a meal is undoubtedly a glass of "medronho", a liqueur distilled from the arbutus-berries that grow in the hills.