Irene Toribio
Extremadura
Tuesday, 29 July 2025, 18:57
In a small border village in the Spanish region of Extremadura stands the shortest international bridge in the world. The El Marco bridge links Spain with Portugal, crossing a physical, cultural and time border. Its peculiarity has caught the attention of British media, such as the Daily Express, the headline of which said that “you can cross an hour into the future”, due to time difference between the two European countries.
This bridge connects the Spanish side of El Marco (in the municipality of La Codosera, Badajoz province) with the Portuguese side in Arronches (Alentejo).
At just 3.2 metres long and 1.45 metres wide, it connects two different countries and time zones, as it crosses over the quiet Abrilongo river. Locals joke that the river is so narrow during the warmer months that you don’t need the bridge and you can just jump over it.
The bridge was rebuilt with EU funds in 2008. The current wooden footbridge replaced an old makeshift structure, which had been used for decades by people on both sides of the border as a daily crossing between Spain and Portugal.