Bridge Over The Mira River, Portugal Royalty-Free Stock Photo

The Alentejo coast stretches from the mouth of the River Sado to Zambujeira do Mar. The Mira River has its sources on the northern slopes of the Serra do Caldeirao and pursues a southeast–northwest course with a generally mild inclination to the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the two only rivers in Portugal with a chiefly south–north orientation, the other being its neighbour Sado, and one of the few rivers in Europe with this orientation. Since its name origins are prior to Roman dominion in the zone, it is believed, that the name Mira may have the same Celtic or pre-Celtic origin of that of the old city of Mirobriga, the ruins of which lie 32 kilometres to the north.