The Ria Formosa

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...

, located in the

Algarve The Algarve (, , ) is the southernmost NUTS statistical regions of Portugal, NUTS II region of continental Portugal. It has an area of with 467,495 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities (concelho, ''concelhos'' or ''município ...

, in southern

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

, is a system of barrier islands that connects to the sea through six

inlets An inlet is a typically long and narrow indentation of a shoreline such as a small arm, cove, bay, sound, fjord, lagoon or marsh, that leads to an enclosed larger body of water such as a lake, estuary, gulf or marginal sea. Overview In marin ...

. Five of these inlets are natural and have mobility characteristics. The sixth is an artificial inlet that was opened with the purpose of allowing easier access to the port of Faro. In 2010, the lagoon was recognised as one of the country’s seven natural wonders. Following a public vote in which 656,356 voted, the Ria Formosa was announced the winner of the Marine Area category of the ‘7 Maravilhas Naturais de Portugal’. Presently the main inlet of the system is the Faro-Olhão inlet, which is an artificial construction. The process started in 1927 but it was only in 1952 that the engineering works were completed and it assumed the present configuration. Part of the system is a 170 km² protected natural area, but Ria Formosa also plays an important role in the region's economy. Beyond the tourist use the system also supports other economic activities like seafood farms (including grooved carpet shell harvesting) and the port of Faro. Besides being a natural park, Ria Formosa is classified as a

Ramsar site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...

as an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

, both in its lagoon area with 23,296 hectares and the oceanic zone with 19,900 hectares. It serves as a stopping place for migratory birds during the spring and autumn migratory periods. The most important cities near the Ria Formosa are

Tavira Tavira (), officially the City of Tavira (), is a Portuguese town and municipality, capital of the ''Costa do Acantilado'', situated in the east of the Algarve on the south coast of Portugal. It is east of Faro and west of Huelva across the riv ...

, Faro and

Olhão Olhão (), officially known as Olhão da Restauração, is a city and concelho, municipality in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 45,396, in an area of . Located near the regional capital Faro, ...

Entertainment

Little villages and towns in the area, such as

Cabanas de Tavira Cabanas de Tavira (; 'cottages/huts of Tavira') is a village and a former Freguesia (Portugal), civil parish in the municipality of Tavira, Portugal. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish Conceição e Cabanas de Tavira. The parish covered ...

, have a large number of bars, cafés and restaurants which are located along the riverfront and are also dotted around a couple of blocks inland. Annually, about 30,000 birds can be observed from Ria Formosa, since the region serves as a migratory corridor and contains some the last remaining nesting grounds in Europe for some bird species. There are also some towns in this area, whose names are: Fuzeta (which belongs to the municipality of

), Santa Luzia,

(these last two belonging to

) and

Cacela Velha Cacela Velha (meaning "Old Cacela" in Portuguese language, Portuguese) is a village located in the civil parish of Vila Nova de Cacela, List of Portuguese municipalities, municipality of Vila Real de Santo António Municipality, Vila Real de Santo ...

(which belongs to

Vila Real de Santo António Vila Real de Santo António () is a city, civil parish, and municipality in the Algarve, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 19,156, in an area of 61.25 km2. It is one of the few municipalities in Portugal without territorial continuity: its ...

). The area is served by public transport from Tavira to Cabanas, namely buses. The nearest train station is in nearby Conceição which is on the Tavira to Vila Real line. Trains stop there daily, but at irregular intervals.

Islands and beaches

Ria Formosa is located in the southernmost portion of the Algarve and continental Portugal and has a mild climate, with sunny days all year round. Because of these features, beaches in the Ria Formosa area are highly regarded. The majority of the islands of the Algarve are part of the wetland. These include

Armona Island Armona Island is one of many islands of Algarve, Portugal. Armona is in length, and from wide. It is accessible by regular 20-minute Ferry trips or even quicker water taxi from the waterfront in Olhão. The island is populated with a large numb ...

Barreta Island Barreta Island ( Portuguese: ''Ilha da Barreta'') is an island in Algarve, Portugal, about long and wide. Barreta is also known as Deserta, Deserted Island or Santa Maria Cape Island. Is one of the more isolated islands in Algarve. There is a ...

, Cacela Island,

Culatra Island Culatra Island is a barrier island located in the Ria Formosa in the Algarve region of Portugal. It has an approximate population of around 700 people divided across three communities of Farol, Hângares and Culatra. Geography & Layout The isla ...

and

Tavira Island Tavira Island () lies south of the town of Tavira Municipality, Tavira, Portugal, just a few hundred metres off the coast. It is 11 kilometres long and varies between 150 m to 1 km in width. The island has 11 km of the best beaches in ...

. It also hosts small communities such as

Vale do Lobo Vale do Lobo is a golf resort in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. Vale do Lobo comprises one of the three corners of the Golden Triangle (Algarve), Golden Triangle of the Algarve's most affluent and expensive communities. The community ...

and

Manta Rota Manta Rota is a small seaside town in the freguesia, civil parish of Vila Nova de Cacela, List of Portuguese municipalities, municipality of Vila Real de Santo António Municipality, Vila Real de Santo António, in the Algarve, Portugal. Manta R ...

. Barril Beach attracts

naturist Naturism is a lifestyle of practicing non-sexual social nudity in private and in public; the word also refers to the cultural movement which advocates and defends that lifestyle. Both may alternatively be called nudism. Though the two terms a ...

s. Tavira Island Beach has a campsite.

References

External links

Video showing the train trip to Praia do Barril, located inside the natural park
{{Authority control Nature conservation in Portugal Lagoons of Portugal Ramsar sites in Portugal Important Bird Areas of Portugal Algarve Geography of Faro District Tourist attractions in Faro District Natura 2000 in Portugal Birdwatching sites in Portugal