Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The exterior view of the large castle.
Castello di Gropparello (Gropparello Castle)
Night view of the palace with Kathmandu’s famous giant fruit bats flying overhead.
Narayanhiti Palace Museum Massacre Site
Small statues of Buddha line the path to the top of the mountain.
Mitaki-dera
A view of the Sandiaoling bike tunnel.
Sandiaoling Bike Tunnel
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
about 8 hours ago
Though they’re protected inside the park, wolves can be killed when they cross its borders.
Wolves Have a Bad Reputation. One Yellowstone Naturalist Is Trying to Fix It.
about 9 hours ago
Passersby stop to admire the punny offerings of Brooklyn’s only dinosaur bodega.
We Visited the Dino Bodega in (Jurassic) Park Slope
3 days ago
Native Americans have a longstanding, rich, and vibrant culture in Wyoming.
Wyoming’s Sacred Landscapes: A Journey Through Native American History
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Portugal Ponte da Ajuda (Ajuda Bridge)
AO Edited

Ponte da Ajuda (Ajuda Bridge)

The ruins of a 16th-century bridge loom over Olivença's sovereignty.

Portugal

Added By
wermworm
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The bridge seen from the right side of the river   Vitor Oliveira/CC BY-SA 2.0
The bridge seen from the right side of the river   Vitor Oliveira/CC BY-SA 2.0
On the right bank the bridge still has 8 arches   Vitor Oliveira/CC BY-SA 2.0
A view of the ruined bridge over Guadiana River showing banks in Portugal and Spain   Adolfobrigido/CC BY-SA 3.0
The bridge at sunrise   Paulo Valdivieso/CC BY-SA 2.0
The bridge over the right bank with a view of the ruined turret   Adriao/CC BY 3.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Ajuda Bridge (Nossa Senhora da Ajuda Bridge or Olivença Bridge) is a ruined bridge located on the right bank of the Guadiana River, in the municipality of Elvas. This structure is full of history and intrinsically linked to the Olivença dispute and the conflicts between Portugal and Spain. 

The bridge's construction dates back to 1510 and as early as 1597 two of the central arches collapsed due to heavy flooding of the river. In 1641, it was repaired and raised platforms were installed to replace the damaged arches, but in 1646 the Castilian army destroyed the bridge, which was repaired at the end of the War of Restoration. In 1709, in a new conflict between Portugal and Spain, the Castilian army blew up the bridge, cutting the connection between Elvas and Olivença once again. The bridge has been in that state ever since. 

This connection over the Guadiana River was 380 meters long and 5.5 meters wide and supported by 19 arches, eight of which survive on the right bank and five on the left bank. The bridge was defended by a three-story turret located approximately in the middle of the bridge, part of which is still visible. 

Olivença was never recognized by Portugal as a territory of Spain and, therefore, in 1994 the Portuguese government refused the Spanish proposal of a joint effort to build a new bridge over the Guadiana River. In 2000, a new bridge was inaugurated, built a few meters away from the Ajuda Bridge, financed entirely by the Portuguese government.

As a curiosity, those crossing the new bridge in the Portugal-Spain direction can see a sign indicating the beginning of Spanish territory at the end of the bridge, but in the Spain-Portugal direction, there is no sign indicating the beginning of Portuguese territory, a clear indication that Portugal does not officially recognize Olivença as Spanish territory.

Related Tags

Bridges Ruins Rivers History

Know Before You Go

You can access the bridge from both sides of the river by car. On the right margin, there is a car park and also the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda. On the left side, you can drive your car until the end of the road and then there is a small dirt trail leading up to the bridge itself.

You can walk on top of the bridge on both sides but be careful not to fall in the river. In the summer, when the water volume drops you can also walk below the arches on the right side of the river.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon

Explore Portugal through food, from the cities to the seaside.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

wermworm

Published

September 2, 2021

Sources
  • https://www.wikiwand.com/pt/Ponte_da_Ajuda
  • https://pt.turismodeolivenza.com/fichas/6-puente-de-ajuda.html
Ponte da Ajuda (Ajuda Bridge)
Estudante N.ª Srª. da Ajuda
7350
Portugal
38.777771, -7.170928

Nearby Places

Fortaleza de Juromenha

Almoinhos, Portugal

miles away

Fort of Graça

Elvas, Portugal

miles away

The World’s Shortest International Bridge

Esperança, Portugal

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Portugal

Portugal

Europe

Places 166
Stories 11

Nearby Places

Fortaleza de Juromenha

Almoinhos, Portugal

miles away

Fort of Graça

Elvas, Portugal

miles away

The World’s Shortest International Bridge

Esperança, Portugal

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Portugal

Portugal

Europe

Places 166
Stories 11

Related Places

  • The arch is visible below the surface

    Lleida, Spain

    Pont de Montiberri

    A river hides a charming medieval bridge.

  • Chigasaki, Japan

    Sagami River Bridge Ruins

    These medieval wooden bridge pillars appeared out of nowhere in the aftermath of a huge earthquake.

  • London, England

    Victoria Park's Old London Bridge Alcoves

    These remnants of Old London Bridge possess unique acoustics that allow for whispered conversations to carry from one side to the other.

  • Neisse bridge remnants viewed from the Polish side

    Forst, Germany

    Remnants of the Neisse Bridge

    This elaborate stone bridge over the Neisse river has sat in pieces since 1945.

  • Tunnel 33, now collapsed.

    Winter Park, Colorado

    Rifle Sight Notch

    This old train trestle and collapsed tunnel once allowed the railroad to negotiate the steep slopes of the Colorado Rockies.

  • Porter Creek Bridge Ruins.

    Bay Village, Ohio

    Porter Creek Bridge Ruins

    The overgrown remains of an old rail bridge rise above the valley like ancient Greek ruins.

  • Entrance to Lonely Dell.

    Marble Canyon, Arizona

    Lee's Ferry and Lonely Dell

    This isolated outpost was once the only place to cross the Colorado River for hundreds of miles.

  • The causeway part of the bridge over the floodplain and marshes

    Derbyshire, England

    Swarkestone Bridge

    The longest stone bridge in England has an impressive history that dates back over 700 years.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.