Marvão is a small town on the border between Spain and Portugal, near Castelo de Vide and Valencia de Alcántara, on the main road from Cáceres. It is not in the Oeste region of Portugal, but we thought it deserved a post on this blog for three reasons: first, because due to its history, charm and location, it is a common stopping point on car trips from the rest of Europe to the Portuguese coast; second, because it has several very interesting restaurants and activities for a weekend getaway; and third, for a new, fun and different experience that can be done in the area, and that allows you to feel like Buster Keaton in The General for a few hours.
Starting at the end, if we like to pedal in the middle of nature and we have a couple of hours, we should try Rail Bike Marvão, which offers routes in two-seater pedal vehicles that roll along the now disused train tracks. The tour allows you to enjoy this area of great natural beauty in a different way, in the surroundings of the Tajo Internacional park, a Biosphere reserve.
Another very interesting activity is a visit to the Melara Picada Nunes Museum, where they offer 75-minute guided tours that include a practical explanation about the history and production of olive oil, a small tasting and they give us a sample of their liquid gold.
Among the restaurants by the Sever river, there are some very interesting, like JJ Videira, Sever or Milhomens. And we should not leave Marvão without going up to the castle and enjoying its incredible 360º views of the Alentejo and Extremadura, those two regions now so united that they even participate together in European projects with the acronym ALEX, breaking that old phrase of José Saramago that Spain and Portugal are two Siamese brothers who were born joined at the back and have never seen each other’s faces. Nowadays this is no longer the case, there is increasing knowledge and appreciation between both peoples and Marvão is an excellent meeting point to prove it.