Mira River

The Mira River flows through southwestern Alentejo, Portugal. It stretches for 145 kilometers (90 miles).

It rises on the northern slopes of the Serra do Caldeirão and flows southeast–northwest with a typically mild inclination to the Atlantic Ocean, where it empties into a small calm delta near Vila Nova de Milfontes, some 115 kilometers (71 miles) south of Lisbon. It is one of only two rivers in Portugal with a mostly south–north inclination (the other being its neighbor Sado), as well as one of the few in Europe. Mira basin is bordered on the north by the Sado River basin and on the east by the Guadiana River basin.

Torgal Rivulet, Luzianes River, and Perna Seca River are the main tributaries on the right bank. Rivers Macheira, Guilherme, and Telhares are major tributaries on the left bank.

Distributary streamlines follow the shoreline perpendicularly and discharge directly into the Atlantic Ocean.

Because the name Mira predates Roman authority in the area, it is thought to have the same Celtic or pre-Celtic origin as the old city of Miróbriga (cradle of the contemporary city of Santiago do Cacém), whose remains are 32 kilometers (20 miles) to the north. It is known that there was a god named Mirobieus in the pantheon of the indigenous tribes (called Celtici by the Romans) who was worshipped to protect the rivers.

Length: 145 km (90 mi)