A reporter from the Lusa agency was on 1 July on both sides of the border and could see early on that the lifting of police control soon began to be used by Spaniards and Portuguese to visit the towns on the other side of the Guadiana River, although with little intensity yet.

At 12am, the Portuguese and Spanish police and customs forces lifted the checkpoints that, during the period of confinement due to the pandemic, were installed next to the bridge to allow only the transport of goods, national citizens or cross-border workers to pass.

On the Spanish side, in Ayamonte, dozens of Portuguese vehicles were already visible this morning at the petrol stations closest to the border to benefit from lower fuel prices and refuel their vehicles in Spain.

"I came to fill the tank right away, these months with the border closed we spent a lot more refilling the cars, but finally we can come here to put petrol in the car or do a little shopping at the supermarket," Carlos Costa told Lusa next to one of the service areas in Ayamonte.

Luís Freitas also expressed his satisfaction at being able to visit Spain, after three months with the border closed and “unable to see friends and acquaintances”.

“We live here near Ayamonte and many have personal relationships on this side, which, during the pandemic, had to be reduced to telephone or social media contacts. Finally they opened the border and we have to take advantage of it,” said Luís Freitas.

Asked whether or not he is afraid of the pandemic of an eventual infection with the new coronavirus, the same source replied that "the virus is everywhere, we have to learn to live with it" until a vaccine is found.

"If we all comply with the distance and protection rules that are advised by health authorities, there are no problems," he said, stressing that "in Portugal you can also get sick" with covid-19.

Next to the international bridge of the Guadiana, on the A22 toll payment machines for foreign vehicles, the circulation of Spanish cars is also beginning to be made, the majority heading for Algarve beaches.

“We are going to the beach at Praia Verde [Castro Marim]. We always come to the beach here and we already miss being able to cross the bridge and visit our Portuguese friends”, said the Spanish Carla Cuesta, who was entering Portugal accompanied by her boyfriend and a friend to spend the day and return to Huelva at night .

Unlike her compatriot, who said she wanted to return home at the end of the day, Luísa Cuerva preferred to take the opportunity to “come and visit the Algarve” in a motorhome with her husband.

"We were waiting for this day for the border to open and we could come on holiday to the Algarve," she said, explaining that the option for the caravan was taken "to avoid contact with other people and be more rested" in the face of an eventual contagion.

This Spaniard also believes, however, that "if you are careful, there are no problems" and you can "begin to return to normal" after "three hard months" due to the pandemic.