About South of Alentejo

The Baixo Alentejo – Down Alentejo

The Down Alentejo is a old Portuguese province and its capital the city of Beja.

The Beja district corresponds to the southern half of the Alentejo plain, irrigated by water courses in general small and almost dry (or dry it) in summer, and punctuated here and there by low and slightly sloping hills.

The major accident of the district is the valley of the Guadiana river, which runs from north to south its eastern part, separating the main plain of a territory between the river and the Spanish border which, together with the Algarve hills bordering the district south (Serra de Monchique, Serra do Caldeirão and Serra de Espinhaço de Cão) are the most rugged areas and higher elevations of the district: The Serra da Adiça and the foothills of the Serra Morena Spanish surpass the 500 meters. Apart from these highs, only the Serra do Cercal on the border with the district of Setúbal near Vila Nova de Milfontes and the Serra do Mendro the limit with the district of Evora, north of Vidigueira are noteworthy, reaching 341 me 412 m above sea level, respectively.

The hydrographic network, in addition to the Guadiana and its many but little mighty tributaries, there are two other important river basins: the Sado, born in the district, in the vicinity of Ourique and heads for the district of Setubal, and the river Mira, who was born in the hills of Serra do Caldeirão and will flow into the Atlantic next to Vila Nova de Milfontes. In addition to these networks also they enter the district parts of the hydrographic basin of the Arade river, whose source is very close to the Mira but goes to the Algarve and the Ribeira de Seixe whose valley forms the border with the District of Faro. District of Beja are some large dams, including the largest in the country, the Alqueva dam (Guadiana River, shared with the District of Évora and Spain), the dam of Chança (Chança River, shared with Spain), the Santa Clara dam (river Mira), the dam of Monte da Rocha (Sado) to Dam Purple (Purple river) and the dam of Odivelas (Odivelas stream).

The coast is rocky and extends almost straight north to south, the main accidents the mouth of the Mira and the Cabo Sardão.

It is then made up of 18 municipalities, integrating the entire district of Beja and further south half of the district of Setúbal.

District of Beja: Aljustrel, Almodôvar, Alvito, Barrancos, Beja, Castro Verde, Cuba, Ferreira do Alentejo, Mértola, Moura, Odemira, Ourique,Serpa, Vidigueira.