Day 3 - Azinhal to Alcoutim

The day started with a taxi to Azinhal to pick up the trail and say goodbye to the coast for good. Another glorious walk in the open country, heading down to the Guadiana and then back inland to pick up a bridge that crosses River Odeleite.

After leaving Azinhal, one got one of those "camino classic" vistas, where a dusty trail extends out to the horizon.

The walk to the river was pretty special too. The way marking on the route is generally pretty good but I would always carry GPS for those moments where a sign has disappeared. This is a rarely-trodden path - one can't rely on a fellow pilgrim turning up to help.

Spain across the river...

...and orange tree after orange tree marking the route.

Being a Monday, I was pretty pessimistic about finding anywhere open and, sure enough, the first place that was meant to be open was firmly closed. However, there was a great little cafe open at Alcarias - Alberto's - which I can't recommend highly enough. Multiple generations of women produced a satisfying lunch and I was able to stock up with water.

Which was a good job as Alberto's was the last place open. The Guadibar in Laranjeiras, by the river, said that it was open on Google but all I found was a closed building and some crates of empty bottles. I guess walking in March, perhaps the bar wasn't opening for random peregrinos. Laranjeiras did however have a pleasant surprise in a well laid-out set of archeological remains dating back to Roman times, but including a Visigothic church.

Eventually made it into Alcoutim and stayed at a hotel to the north of the town. Came back into town to look for a restaurant only to find everything closed. Mondays really are dead in Iberia and I think that it didn't help that the town was gearing up for a Smugglers' Fair the next week.

Apparently smuggling was very big business in these parts in times past.

Fortunately the hotel restaurant was open and they served a very good supper.