Mértola is a town and municipality in southeastern Portuguese Alentejo near the Spanish border. In 2011, the population was 7,274, in an area of approximately 1,292.87 square kilometres (499.18 sq mi): it is the sixth-largest municipality in Portugal. Meanwhile, it is the second-lowest population centre by density with approximately 5.62 persons/1 square kilometre (0.39 sq mi).
Mértola viewed from the opposite shore of the Guadiana, with the city wall and the medieval castle uphill
Mértola castle, Mértola, Portugal
View of Mértola, over the Guadiana River. The main church (igreja matriz), originally a mosque, is in the foreground.
Alentejo is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond the Tagus river" (Tejo).
Typical landscape of Alentejo. The trees in the foreground are cork oaks (Quercus suber), together with the remains of a cut wheat field. The second and third images are vineyards (Vitis vinifera) and olive trees (Olea europea). Wheat, cork, olive oil, and wine are the most important commercial products of Alentejo.
View of the Alqueva Reservoir on the Guadiana from one of the many hills
Alentejo experiences prolonged periods without rain, leaving the fields dry as a result
Coastal Alentejo
