An unusual way to cross the border between the two countries
At first glance, you will hardly notice that there is a steel cable linking Sanlúcar de Guadiana, in Andalusia, to Alcoutim, in the Algarve. With a length of 720 metres, the only zip line in the world to link two countries transports tourists across the Guadiana River at a speed of between 70 and 80 km/h.
The boarding platform is located at the Sanlúcar de Guadiana Castle, almost 100 metres above the river. The arrival point is only 15 metres above sea level, in Alcoutim, Portugal, creating an average descent angle of around 12.50%, which can be completed in less than a minute. Much shorter than a routine check at a border, but much cooler!
One minute to go down and on arrival you will be an hour early. The time difference helps. Once the "trip" is over, you will be taken by boat back to Spain, on the other side of the river.
This zip line is the result of a passion and a project entirely financed by the Englishman David Jarman who named the attraction Limitezero. He explains:
Two villages in two countries, separated by a 150 meters wide river... Installing a zip line just seemed obvious to me...
On a busy day the zip line can take care of about 24 to 30 people per hour, at a cost of 15 euros per person. Jarman expects the famous transport system to operate 200 days a year: the zip line is closed between mid-November and mid-February.
