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
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
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 ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
18 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
18 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
18 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
18 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 Marvão Porto Roque Border Post

Porto Roque Border Post

An abandoned anti-smuggling station decays along the boundary between Portugal and Spain.

Marvão, Portugal

Added By
Luis Morato
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The main building where customs was located.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
The main building where customs was located.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
Entrance of one of the dwellings.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
The old soccer field.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
Old communications antenna.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
The closed church.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
Sentry post.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
View of the landscape next to Porto Roque rocks.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
The houses were abandoned in the late-1990s.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
Corridor.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
View of the village.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
Entrance of the abandoned Guard Post.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
The kitchen of one of the houses.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
View of one of the abandoned houses.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
One bathroom.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
Into the Guard Post.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
Into the Guard Post.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
There is danger of downfall into the Guard Post.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

After the Second World War and Spanish Civil War, the Iberian countries were dominated by the political dictatorships of António de Oliveira Salazar and Francisco Franco. Due to the economic circumstances, the border between Portugal and Spain became a hotbed for smuggling goods.

The Portuguese government sought to monitor the illegal market by beefing up its border facilities. In 1964, the government hired architect Cassiano Branco, who built iconic buildings including Lisbon’s Eden Theatre and the miniature park Portugal dos Pequenitos in Coimbra, to carry out the project along with Carlos João Chambers Ramos. The border post was finally inaugurated in 1972.

The resulting complex included a main structure that was divided into two parts, one housing the Customs and Tax Guard Services and the other housing spaces dedicated to tourism and currency exchange. The latter portion also included a restaurant that had a panel of tiles made by Manuel Lapa displayed on the walls. To the west of this building were 20 dwellings built to house the tax guards and their families, as there was not a village nearby for them to live in. There was also a warehouse, guard post, sports center, and a church.

The implementation of the 1995 Schengen Agreement, which put an end to most border checks within Europe, rendered this post obsolete. Many of the houses were abandoned shortly after, and the main building, including the tourist information office, eventually shuttered as well.

Related Tags

Borders Border Crossings Politics Abandoned Tourism

Know Before You Go

Porto Roque Border Post is located in Marvaô Municipality, about 1.8 miles (three kilometers) from the village of Gallegos, marking the border between Marvaõ and Valencia de Alcántara in Spain. As this site is abandoned, it's best to stick to admiring it from the outside. Do not trespass, and do not enter the abandoned buildings.

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

Luis Morato

Published

August 14, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-agreement/
  • http://www.patrimoniocultural.gov.pt/pt/patrimonio/patrimonio-imovel/pesquisa-do-patrimonio/classificado-ou-em-vias-de-classificacao/geral/view/22138327
  • https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiano_Branco
Porto Roque Border Post
N246-1
Marvão, 7330
Portugal
39.354181, -7.309506
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Valencia de Alcántara Dolmens

Valencia de Alcántara, Spain

miles away

The World’s Shortest International Bridge

Esperança, Portugal

miles away

Fort of Graça

Elvas, Portugal

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Portugal

Portugal

Europe

Places 166
Stories 11

Nearby Places

Valencia de Alcántara Dolmens

Valencia de Alcántara, Spain

miles away

The World’s Shortest International Bridge

Esperança, Portugal

miles away

Fort of Graça

Elvas, Portugal

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Portugal

Portugal

Europe

Places 166
Stories 11

Related Places

  • Semināra iela/Sepa tänav border.

    Valga, Estonia

    Valga/Valka Border

    For the last century, this international border within a small town has appeared and disappeared various times.

  • Russian post clearly indicating Border Crossing No. 487.

    Teshig, Mongolia

    Mongolia/Russia Border Crossing No. 487

    This extremely remote border crossing was closed to prevent smuggling and looting.

  • Pelješac Bridge

    Duboka, Croatia

    Pelješac Bridge

    Construction of this bridge was once described as an "act of violence" against a neighboring country.

  • Concordia Monument

    Belvedere, Sint Maarten

    Concordia Monument

    Where Saint-Martin ends and Sint Maarten begins (or vice versa).

  • Paju, South Korea

    Camp Greaves

    An arts and culture complex that was once a derelict American military installation in the civilian control zone of the DMZ.

  • Nahwa.

    Nahwa, United Arab Emirates

    Nahwa

    A small United Arab Emirates territory within an Omani enclave within the United Arab Emirates.

  • The ruins looking north

    Germantown, Maryland

    Ruins of Clopper Mill

    The hidden ruins of a mill that is linked to an attempt to assassinate the vice president of the United States.

  • Verdisian Flag Waving

    Kopačevo, Croatia

    Verdis

    A small self-proclaimed micro-state located on a piece of disputed territory between Croatia and Serbia, near Liberland.

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.