The World’s Smallest International Bridge Is Only 19 Feet Long

The historical role of bridges has been to create national connections by extending across vast territories while representing unity among nations. The shortest international bridge in the world spans only 19 feet (6 meters) across its entire length.

The El Marco International Bridge serves as more than a small pedestrian crossing because it connects the Portuguese village Várzea Grande in Alentejo to the Spanish village El Marco in Extremadura. The bridge connects two sovereign nations as well as different historical periods. The time zone of Spain matches Central European Time (CET/CEST), yet Portugal operates under Greenwich Mean Time (GMT/BST). A single 19-foot walk across the bridge will transport you to a time period that is one hour ahead.

The bridge received a reconstruction in 2008 through European Union funding to span the Abrilongo River, which locals often say can be jumped across during summer because it becomes nearly dry. The existing pedestrian- and cyclist-only bridge took the place of a wooden structure that served residents for many decades.

Throughout history the bridge maintained critical importance for border trade operations that included both authorized exchanges and illegal activities. The border controls elimination through the 1996 Schengen Agreement did not stop smugglers from using the crossing point to exchange Portuguese coffee and olives for Spanish wine and knives. Local residents would repair the destroyed wooden planks during floods to maintain continuous trade across the crossing.

Before the El Marco International Bridge received its recognition, it held the title of the world’s smallest international bridge, which previously belonged to a structure on Zavikon Island that connected Canada with the United States. The minimal length of the El Marco International Bridge at 19 feet remains three times shorter than its closest rival.

The El Marco International Bridge serves as a historical monument for unity that demonstrates how brief distances unite entire nations.