Odemira (), officially the Town of Odemira (), is a town and a municipality in Beja District in the Portuguese region of Alentejo. The population in 2021 was 29,538, in an area of , making it the largest municipality of Portugal by area, but one of the least densely populated.

It is famous for its wild beaches and for being home to a significant immigrant community, comprising 28.2% of the municipality's population as of 2021. The village of Zambujeira do Mar is home to the Festival do Sudoeste, one of the biggest rock festivals in Europe.

The municipality of Odemira has two large economic activities, tourism and export-oriented agriculture. It is home to major operations of national and international agricultural companies such as Driscoll's and Vitacress.

The present mayor is Hélder António Guerreiro, elected by the Socialist Party in 2021. The municipal holiday is 8 September.

Etymology

The first element of the town's name, (equivalent to Spanish ), is common in Portuguese placenames and stems from Arabic , meaning "river valley" or "gully". The second element's origin is more uncertain, but is presumed to be derived from a pre-Roman toponym, either Celtic or pre-Celtic.

The Christian reconquest of Odemira occurred relatively late, possibly carried out by the Order of Santiago. By 1238, the region was under Christian control. In 1245, the castle of Odemira was donated by Paio Peres Correia, Master of the Order of Santiago, to the Bishop of Porto, Pedro Salvadores. The station in Luzianes was deactivated in 2012, due to low demand.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the municipality was affected by rural exodus, losing 33% of its population between 1960 and 1981. Since the 1980s, an increase in foreign investment in export focused agricultural production has helped stabilize the municipality's population, and even grow between 2011 and 2021. While the native resident population has gradually decreased, immigration to the municipality has increased since the 1990s. Immigrants came primarily from Eastern Europe in the 1990s and in the 2000s, and since from Thailand, Nepal and India.

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 13 civil parishes (freguesias):

  • Boavista dos Pinheiros
  • Colos
  • Longueira / Almograve
  • Luzianes-Gare
  • Relíquias
  • Sabóia
  • Santa Clara-a-Velha
  • São Luís
  • São Martinho das Amoreiras
  • São Salvador e Santa Maria
  • São Teotónio
  • Vale de Santiago
  • Vila Nova de Milfontes

Demographics

<div class="overflowbugx" style="overflow-x:auto;">

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

! colspan="18" | Odemira Municipality's population (1801–2021)

|- bgcolor="#C0C0C0"

| align="center" | 1801

| align="center" | 1849

| align="center" | 1864

| align="center" | 1878

| align="center" | 1890

| align="center" | 1900

| align="center" | 1911

| align="center" | 1920

| align="center" | 1930

| align="center" | 1940

| align="center" | 1950

| align="center" | 1960

| align="center" | 1970

| align="center" | 1981

| align="center" | 1991

| align="center" | 2001

| align="center" | 2011

| align="center" | 2021

|-

| align="center" | 6,390

| align="center" | 11,669

| align="center" | 17,136

| align="center" | 18,098

| align="center" | 19,386

| align="center" | 20,489

| align="center" | 23,883

| align="center" | 27,697

| align="center" | 32,541

| align="center" | 40,513

| align="center" | 44,050

| align="center" | 43,999

| align="center" | 33,235

| align="center" | 29,463

| align="center" | 26,418

| align="center" | 26,106

| align="center" | 26,066

| align="center" | 29,538

|-

| colspan="18" align="center" | Source: INE

|}

</div>

The municipality of Odemira experienced population growth between 2011 and 2021, marking the first such increase since 1950. This trend contrasts with the broader pattern of population decline in much of rural Portugal. The growth has been largely attributed to immigration, which has significantly transformed the municipality's demographic profile. The municipality hosts two distinct groups of immigrants: agricultural workers from Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Eastern Europe, and high-income professionals, such as CEOs, primarily from Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.