Vila Real de Santo António is a city of around 18,000 in the Algarve region of Portugal, it sits on the eastern bank of the Guadiana river which forms the border to Spain.

Get in

There are no airport near the city, the two nearest airports are located 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 (note that there is a 1hr time difference between the two countries when you check the schedule). 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 1hour 15mins. 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.

See

• Manuel Cabanas Museum, Rua Teófilo Braga, ☏ +351 281 510 045. 

Drink

• Cais ao Rio (Discoteca), Foz do Guadiana, ☏ +351 281 511 174. F-Sa midnight-6. 
• Bar Klassik, Rua Jacinto J. Andrade, 102. 
• Rio Club, Ponta de Areia, ☏ +351 281 544 231. F-Sa 23-07. 
• Capítulo II, Rua de Angola 45, ☏ +351 969 071 850. 

Sleep

• Hotel Guadiana, Av. da República 94, ☏ +351 281 511 492. 
• Hotel Apolo, Av. dos Bombeiros Portugueses, ☏ +351 281 512 448. 

Connect

• Tourist Information (Centro Cultural António Aleixo), Rua Teófilo Braga, ☏ +351 281 542 100.