Mertola Tour - Alentejo - Portugal HD

Mértola: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CE-cW3WYTc
Overlooking the River Guadiana, the village of Mértola offers visitors the charm of whitewashed houses on terraced streets adorned with orange trees and illuminated by bright sunlight. The streets lined with time-worn flagstones, witness to the history of a town surrounded by the old wall and forever marked by the cultural heritage of the many peoples who met here, giving it the title of museum town. Here, there are many reasons to visit and stay on. MÉRTOLA is one of those places of tradition, calmness and authenticity where it is pleasant to spend time and enjoy oneself! Welcome to Mértola!


São Domingos Mine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQuo04t7sS8
The mining area of Sao Domingos, part of the Iberian Pyrite Belt, was from ancient times a sought after place for the extraction of minerals and there is evidence of gold, silver and copper mining works since the pre-Roman and Roman period.

Its modern operation began in 1854, at the initiative of the “Mason & Barry” mining company, which continued to operate it until 1966, with around 108 years of regular operation extracting more than 20 million tons of ore (copper, zinc, lead and sulfur). Mina de S. Domingos was the largest Portuguese mining area until the 1930s, with a continuously labour force of over a thousand workers. The mine provided a local development level much higher than the one experienced in the rest of the country. Here it was built, for example, one of the first railways to make the connection between the mine and the old river port in Pomarão. Also here it was built the first power plant in Alentejo. The local community also had accesses to a local hospital and movie theatre among other facilities.

The end of the mining exploitation – combined with the absence of an adequate rehabilitation, abandonment and subsequent vandalism of the remaining heritage – dictated the progressive decay of the territory and the population exodus. Nowadays, the development strategy is focused on the search for resolutions to the environmental problems and to the protection and valuation of the mining heritage.

On the 3rd of June 2013 the mine and urban area of Mina de S. Domingos was classified by the Portuguese authorities as a “Set of Public Interest” and currently this urban area and also the old industrial complex are part of a tour circuit that evokes the history and the living memory of the mine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrctp09XDSs

Beach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU_UYXwuBCY
The fluvial beach of Tapada Grande is located in the interior of the Alentejo, in Mina de São Domingos, municipality of Mértola.

It is a blue flag beach and swimmer, located in a wonderful place and with all the conditions for adults and children to have a good time.

The beach has sun hats, picnic tables and barbecues available. Next to the beach there is a bar restaurant with terrace where you can have a refreshment or a meal. On the beach has canoes and pedalos that you can rent for a stroll by the calm waters of the reservoir.