It was elevated to town in 1999 and is about 11 km from Silves. It stands on a small hill, which gives it a very picturesque appearance. To the west, it passes the stream with the same name, a name that is clearly of Arab origin, coming from the word “Al-Qântara” which means “bridge”. Thus, “Alcantarilha” would mean – “the little bridge”. Looks
us, therefore, undoubtedly the Arab origin of this settlement.
In the middle of the 16th century, a wall was built to protect the village from pirate attacks. Two centuries later, the bastion stone was used to build the bridge over the river and in the 1930s there were still considerable traces of such a structure,
which today is irreparably reduced.
In terms of built heritage, the Misericórdia Church, the Chapel of N. Sr.ª Carmo, the Igreja Matriz and its Capela dos Ossos, as well as the agricultural complex of Quinta do Rogel, classified and in the process of recovery, are worth mentioning.
Today, Vila de Alcantarilha has about 3000 inhabitants and agriculture continues to have a greater relevance compared to other areas of economic activity.