Grândola - Alcácer do Sal

We leave Grândola by going down the long Avenida Jorge Nunes to the railway station and, crossing the line, we turn left towards Aldeia do Futuro. We pass the small village and we continue along long stretches of road that becomes more and more sandy , with Vale do Guiso as destination. The landscape, first a rural mosaic of small farms with diverse cultures, changes to a typical pastureland hill accompanied by some pine forests. We cross the first stream at the on a small weir, before crossing the viaduct over the A2 motorway after 5.5 km. The vegetation thickens with the accompaniment of successive streams and the trail becomes less monotonous, but even so, there are no major reasons worth mentioning, with the exception of the sand that hampers our progress. We can enjoy watching the birds among the riparian vegetation until we see the small village of Vale do Guiso, where we are welcomed by the isolated and grandiose Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte. We enter this 16thcentury baroque church, to admire the carvings, paintings and the work of blue and white azulejos, portraying the life of Our Lady. With an adventurous spirit, we scare away some storks as we climb the stairs of the bell tower. The eyes explore the landscape over the village of Arêz and the famous rice paddies that accompany the river Sado. We go down to the river and have lunch just nearby, where we consider continuing to Alcácer do Sal or staying at this same place in Guiso... Deciding to continue the Path, we ask Mr. Baracinha to transport us on the short river crossing. On the other side of the bank, between the rice paddies, mountains and dams, we follow 8.5 km until we reach the premises of Herdade da Barrosinha. This estate produces good wines and olive oils, and through its land, we find wild boars, woodcocks and partridges, which can be served to us in the property's restaurant. We leave Barrosinha to Alcácer do Sal along the N5 national road, passing under the A2 motorway viaduct and, through Rua da Foz, we continue along the marginal road until Largo Luís de Camões. There, we find the kiosk where is installed the local Tourism Office, to help us in what we need for today. Just next door we can find the metal bridge over the Sado, a copy of Gustave Eiffel's style that has served the inhabitants of Alcácer since 1945.