Pulo do Lobo

Explore Alentejo
Written By Jon

Located half way between Mertola and Serpa, in the heart of the Guadiana Valley Natural Park (Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana), Pulo do Lobo is a 20 meters waterfall on the Guadiana river with stunning rock formations. Waters created this narrow gorge above which, according to the legend, a wild animal such as a wolf or a brave could leap over in a single jump. A beautiful place that is definitely worth visiting.

Here you can see the boardwalk (Passadiços do Pulo do Lobo) that has been built. The project is part of the Portugal 2020 program. Unfortunately, it has not been fully finished yet and the boardwalk is not open to the public.

How to access Pulo do Lobo?

There are 2 different access to reach Pulo do Lobo, one from the west, and one from the east:

  • On the right bank from the village of Corte Gafo de Cima, to the village of Amendoeira da Serra, then following a narrow road to the gates of “Herdade do Pulo do Lobo”. After passing this gate, you can follow the dirt road to the end, but it is in bad shape so depending on your car, you might want to park right after the gate and walk the rest of the way.
    GPS coordinates of the parking on the right bank are : 37.804154, -7.634295

  • On the left bank, following the road from Mina de S. Domingos to Serpa. Pulo do Lobo forms the border between the municipalities of Mértola and Serpa.
    GPS coordinates of the parking on the left bank are : 37.806340, -7.629490

Interestingly, Pulo do Lobo is only 33 to 35 meters of altitude. From the main road on either side, the path goes down quite steeply. Mind your steps on your way down and on the site itself, especially if you explore with children.

Looking for wildlife at Pulo do Lobo

Pulo do Lobo is also a hotspot for birders. It is indeed a great place to spot species such as the Black Stork, European Turtle-Dove, Eurasian Hoopoe, Dunnock, Rock Bunting, and even great raptors like Eurasian Griffon, Cinereous Vulture, Golden Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle, etc. According to eBird, 139 bird species have already been spotted there. If you are interested in exploring this place during a private birding tour, feel free to contact us. We would be pleased to guide you.

Finally, Pulo do Lobo is within the range distribution of the elusive Iberian Lynx, so keep your eyes open and you might have the incredible and very rare privilege to see one :)

References :

Visitmertola.pt
Visitportugal.com
Wikipedia.org
eBird

Jon
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