Attractions and Places To See around Serpa - Top 20

The São Domingos Mine is a living memory of a time of fire and iron. Here, where the earth opened up to reveal gold, silver, and copper since ancient times, one of the greatest legacies of the Iberian Pyrite Belt arose in the 19th century. Between 1854 and 1966, millions of tons of ore were extracted here, leaving not only its mark on the soil and landscape, but also progress: one of the country's first railway lines and the first power plant in the Alentejo. Today, the former mining complex is a public heritage site, a place of contrasts and rare beauty.

Moura Castle is a very old fortress, composed of round and square towers, and is the first fortress known to Moura. The Convent of Our Lady of the Assumption was built here, which incorporated the Church of Santiago, the former Moorish mosque, and became the mother church.

The castle houses the Municipal Museum of Archaeology. The castle walls are accessible. The elevator was out of service at the end of May 2025.

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You can access Pulo do Lobo from either side of the river: from Aldeia da Amendoeira, on the Mértola-Beja road (left bank), or from Serpa, in the village of Vale de Poços, where you'll find signs indicating exactly where to turn right (right bank). Both paths are well signposted, and both have several viewpoints. The best view of the waterfall, however, is undoubtedly from the viewpoint on the right bank. Further ahead, you'll see Pego dos Sáveis, the spot where the water suddenly calms down again, forming a tranquil lake.

Rising above Moura's old town on a limestone plateaux are the ruins of a once grand castle. The medieval Castelo de Moura was built by King Dom Dinis in the 13th century on the site of an earlier Moorish citadel. There is evidence that the site is even older than this suggesting there was originally an Iron Age hill fort here. The medieval castle was a mixture of old and new including the remains of the Moorish castle and a new watchtower, the remains of which can be seen today. One of the original Moorish towers remained; the Salúquia tower, named after princess Salúquia, the daughter of the Muslim governor Abu Hassan. It is said that when the christians reconquered the town she threw herself from the top of this tower. Over subsequent years the castle was further expanded and fortified. During the 16th century the convent of Nossa Senhora da Assunção was incorporated into the castle grounds, being built on the site of the earlier Moorish mosque. It is said that the convent was home to the tombs of Pedro and Álvaro Rodrigues who were responsible for the reconquest of Moura from the Moors. The castle was almost destroyed during the Spanish War of Succession under the command of the Duke of Osuna in 1707. Further damage was caused by the 1755 earthquake leaving the Moura Castle in ruins. Today the castle is home to landscaped gardens, a military museum and an archaeological museum. It is also a great viewpoint for the town and surrounding countryside including the nearby Alqueva dam.

Reigning over the town, Serpa’s castle is a charming ruin after being sacked by the Spanish and lying abandoned since the 1600s. But that takes nothing away from the monument, as its battlements are still intact and you can scramble up to survey the town and the Alentejo countryside. There has been some kind of fortress up here since at least the Romans, but this castle’s timeline begins with the Moors in the 700s. During the Reconquista in the 12th and 13th centuries the it was besieged by both Christian and Moorish forces before Afonso III finally conquered the Algarve to the south. Get a good look at the fabric of the walls, as you might discover some recycled Roman funerary stones with inscriptions still legible.

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.