Martim Longo, Rural parish in Alcoutim, Portugal.
Martim Longo is a rural parish in eastern Algarve near the Alentejo border, spread across hilly terrain with scattered stone houses and agricultural land. The settlement maintains a simple, countryside character with minimal modern development throughout its area.
This area has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, as evidenced by the archaeological site of Cerro do Castelo de Santa Justa. The site demonstrates that the region has been continuously occupied and used for thousands of years.
Handcraft traditions remain part of daily life here, with locals producing woolen rugs, jute dolls, and cork miniatures using methods passed down through generations. These items reflect how the community keeps its regional identity alive through what people make and sell.
This is a sparsely populated area, so visitors should expect long distances between services and prepare accordingly before arrival. Having a car is practical for reaching the scattered sites and attractions across the parish.
With very few people per square kilometer, this area remains largely unknown to mainstream tourism and crowds. This isolation from mass tourism allows visitors to experience authentic rural life that has disappeared in many other places.
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