The best walks and hikes around Alcaria Ruiva

Pulo do Lobo. This is the largest waterfall in southern Portugal and is located on the Guadiana River, upstream from Mértola. The waters fall from a height of over 20 metres and, surrounded by a sea of foam, descend the rocky gorge to the bottom, emptying into a lake between the rocks. The banks of the waterfall are so narrow that, according to legend, even a wolf could cross them in one leap. Hence the name Pulo do Lobo. The landscape of Pulo do Lobo is spectacular, the riverbed after the waterfall is completely exposed, in rock, between which the Guadiana River meanders, in a groove created over thousands of years. Access to Pulo do Lobo can be from the east or west. To the east, take a detour on the road that connects Serpa to Mértola. Access to the waterfall is difficult and you have to walk, crossing the rocky riverbed to reach the waterfall. We recommend caution. To the west, take a detour on the road that connects Beja to Mértola and continue to the village of Amendoeira da Serra, following the signs to Pulo do Lobo. You will then reach Herdade de Pulo do Lobo, open the gate and it is about 1000m on a dirt road to the waterfall. Access is prohibited to heavy vehicles. Access to the waterfall from the west is easier, and there is even a structure to better observe the waterfall.

A dolmen measuring 2 m by 1.20 m, dating from the 3rd millennium BC. It has a trapezoidal chamber and a small corridor facing east. It was built with small, small local schist pillars. It also has a slab that partially covers the burial chamber. It was the subject of an intervention to enhance its value, through a landscape architecture project carried out by the Association for the Defence of the Heritage of Mértola. It is one of the points of interest before visiting Pulo do Lobo. It has suffered damage resulting from agricultural work and, despite being part of a visiting circuit, it exposes some weaknesses as tourists walk on top of the dolmen's lid and pillars.

These are the untamed lands of Pulo do Lobo, where shale forms steep cliffs and the Guadiana River runs wild. Here, in the heart of the Guadiana Valley Natural Park, the landscape is breathtaking, a haven of biodiversity where even the elusive Iberian lynx finds its home.

The Anta das Pias, built between the 5th and 3rd millennia BC, sits on a hill overlooking the Guadiana River, close to the trail that leads to Pulo do Lobo. This small, trapezoidal dolmen has a short corridor formed by schist pillars and a slab that partially covers the burial chamber. Rare in the region, it is a valuable prehistoric vestige that has withstood the test of time, preserving the memory of ancient civilizations.

The route is not easy, nor familiar, nor for people without any preparation as it says in the generic. The route is difficult and is characterized, in the area next to the river, by the permanent crossing of masses of rocks that are difficult to overcome, it is not familiar at all and requires someone physically fit.

Boardwalks have been built on the eastern side for several years to make it easier to get to the waterfall and admire it from a safe distance. A really great project, which unfortunately seems to have stalled. The footbridges are still closed, although most of them are already accessible. The footbridges down to the water and above the reservoir are accessible (but still closed), the footbridges to the other side, downstream, are not yet completed.

A sleepy little place, an exit to the hike to the mills

A hilly landscape covered with individual trees, bushes and grass. Grain fields used to be grown here, supplying the entire region with bread. Now these are pastures for animals.