Vila Real de Santo António

Vila Real de Santo António is a city in the Algarve region of Portugal, on the eastern bank of the River Guadiana which across from Spain.

Understand




Vila Real de Santo António (VEE-luh rree-AHL d(ih) SUHN-too uhn-TAW-nee-oo, /vi.ɫɐ ʁi.ˈaɫ dɨ ˈsɐ̃.tu ɐ̃.ˈtɔ.ni.u/) municipality has 18,828 residents (2021 preliminary), with over 11,500 living in the city proper. The municipality is noncontiguous, occupying up two different stretches of coastal land, separated by Castro Marim.

In the earthquake of 1755, the places on the border with Spain were badly damaged. Under the direction of the Marquês de Pombal, Vila Real de Santo António was built in just five months in 1774, partly following the same pattern as before Lisbon.

Get in
There is no airport near the city: the two nearest airports are in Faro and in Sevilla, Spain. Faro is closest, but both are perfectly good choices, and within a 1½-hour drive.

By bus
There are 10-15 daily buses from the regional centre Faro, which takes between 1½-2 hours depending on the company, expect to pay around €5 for a one way ticket, there is no substantial discounts on return fares. Many of these buses continue to Sevilla in Spain, which takes around 2½ hours and cost approximately €15. There is a 1-hr time difference between the two countries. The reverse route is naturally also possible. Companies that operate on this line include Eva Transportes, Eurolines España, and Damas.

By train
Up to 10 trains per day traverse the quite scenic route along the coast from Lagos to Villa Real via Faro. The train takes around 1 hour 15 min. from Faro and costs around €4.50. The route is run by the Portuguese Railways. There are no direct trains from Sevilla but it is possible to take the train to Huelva about half way, and continue from there with a bus.

By boat
Since the highway bridge crossing the river to Spain is off limits to pedestrians or cyclists, there is still a small ferry crossing the river to Ayamonte on the opposite side of the river. It generally runs once every hour between the two cities and the ride takes less than ten minutes. Be sure to bring your passport in order to enter Spain. A passport is not required to enter Portugal from the Spanish side.