[5] During the Islamic period, the area gained prominence, with the name "Odemira" potentially originating from the Arabic word wad (river) combined with the pre-Celtic term mira, also associated with water.

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.

[5] Under King Dinis, the lordship of Odemira was granted to Manuel Pessanha in 1319, a Genoese admiral instrumental in organizing the Portuguese navy.

In 1387, King João I transferred the lordship of Odemira to Lourenço Anes Fogaça, whose descendants maintained control until the late 15th century.

[5] In 1888, the Linha do Sul railway line reached the Odemira municipality, connecting it to Setúbal and Lisbon to the north and a year later to Algarve to the south.

Its coastline is 55 kilometres (34 mi) long and approximately 44% of its territory is within the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Nature Park and the Natura 2000 network.

These dynamics are reshaping the social, economic, and cultural fabric of Odemira, aligning it with trends observed in other rural areas engaged with globalized agricultural practices.

However, the rapid pace of change has also brought challenges as of 2021, particularly in areas such as housing, education, language classes and cultural integration, where demand has often outstripped local capacity to adapt.

The latter has been a significant driver of economic activity since the 1980s, benefiting from foreign investment and infrastructure such as the Santa Clara Dam and the Mira River Irrigation Perimeter.

Companies such as Driscoll’s Vitacress and Sudoberry have established operations in the municipality, making Odemira a key player in the European berry market.

These enterprises rely heavily on immigrant labor to sustain operations, reflecting the globalized nature of the local agricultural sector.

Initiatives such as rural tourism and ecotourism have complemented the municipality's agricultural identity, attracting lifestyle migrants and visitors seeking recreation in a preserved natural environment[3] There are two active railway stations in the Odemira municipality in the Linha do Sul railway line: Amoreiras-Odemira in São Martinho das Amoreiras and Santa Clara - Saboia nearby the villages of Santa Clara-a-Velha and Sabóia.