South of the Tagus

Starting from Casa Branca, the route winds through the fields and sandy soils of the south bank of the Tagus. In the midst of a harmonious and peaceful landscape emerge small villages with a deep cultural and natural heritage, where the fauna and flora are varied and rich. The presence of water provides opportunities for leisure and recreational activities. In Alvega, the main Church of São Pedro, with its rose window and side belltower, is protected by a walled churchyard with a tile panel invoking Saint Anthony. It continues through an area of heathland and cork oak forest, with majestic cork and holm oak trees. After Pego, a village of simple white houses, the proximity to the water is accentuated. The Aquapolis is a magnificent leisure area located along the two banks of the Tagus, where the emblematic work of contemporary art by the sculptor Charters de Almeida stands. The metal bridge, inaugurated in 1889 for the installation of the railway, and the pier’s pillars, which supported a military bridge formed by barges in the 19th century, make up part of the local historical heritage. The crossing to the north bank, with the city of Abrantes on the horizon, is made on the well-protected and safe outer lanes of the road over the river.