World’s shortest bridge is just 19ft long but connects 2 countries and crosses time zones

The world has some that span miles and connect different countries. But have you ever given thought to the world’s smallest international bridge?

The is tiny but not only crosses from one country to another, it also crosses time zones.

The bridge in question is the , which is just 19ft (6 metres) long and 4.7ft (1.45 metres) wide.

It links the , in the Alentejo region, with the in Extremadura.

As mentioned before, despite its small size, crossing the bridge is an interesting experience as you change countries and time zones in just a few steps.

Spain operates on Central European Time (CET/CEST), while Portugal follows Greenwich Mean Time (GMT/BST), meaning you could technically travel an hour into the future by walking a mere 19 feet.

The bridge, rebuilt in 2008 with funding, spans the Abrilongo River, which is so narrow during the warmer months that locals joke you could almost jump across it.

The current footbridge replaced a makeshift wooden crossing that had been used for years by locals on both sides of the border.

Historically, the bridge played a big role in local trade – although not always legally.

Before the 1996 Schengen Agreement, which removed border checks between Spain and Portugal, smugglers used the crossing to trade goods like coffee and olives. In return, the Spanish offered wine and knives.

This “informal market” flourished for decades, with residents from both sides creating their own bridge out of planks whenever it was washed away by river floods.

Now, the reconstructed bridge connects the two countries but only allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross.

Before the El Marco International Bridge claimed the title, the world’s smallest international bridge was thought to be the bridge on Zavikon Island, linking two tiny islands between Canada and the US.

However, that bridge is over three times longer than El Marco International Bridge.