Ria Formosa natural park

One of the most beautiful parks on the southern coast of Portugal is the Ria Formosa Natural Park. Located in the Algarve region, it is a clean, bio-rich stronghold of natural charm. This park is heaven-sent for nature lovers, bird watchers and people who love to be outside. Everything nice with it is worth admiring. It is famous for its beautiful scenery, considerable variety of animals clear rivers and sparkling streams.

This complete guide will help you better appreciate and enjoy the charm of Ria Formosa Natural Park. From Faro to Tavira is a stretch of about 60 kilometres along the southeast coast of Portugal’s Ria Formosa Natural Park, with sandbars, ponds, canals, lakes, and islands all intertwined. The waves and currents continuously alter the extent, direction and look of this region. It is a natural wonder that no visitor to the Algarve should miss.

You can get there by public ships or tourist boats. There are six coast site islands and one peninsula. Some of the beaches are completely uninhabited and have beautiful white sands. It is a nature park so it can not be developed, there are no hotels here, only places that are officially nude beaches such as these beaches, one other is South Beach near Olhão. People can go there for peace.

Along the way, you will see many kinds of animals, such as chameleons, flamingos, White Storks, 10,000 mother-of-pearl fish (the largest community in the world) and other resident and migrating birds. The Portuguese Water Dog is a rare breed that was bred in this area. It became popular when U.S. President Obama chose one as his family’s dog in the White House. The Ria Formosa Natural Park Interpretation Center, located in Olhão, has information about this breed as well as information about the park as a whole.

The site at Quinta de Marim is not well taken care of, but it has three 3 kilometres (almost 2 miles) of roads and boardwalks where you can see many kinds of animals. It also manages to preserve an archaeological site dating back to the Roman Empire (4th century) and a house has displays on environmental protection. The park’s beaches on the islands are the most famous, but the only way to get to them is the towns of Faro, Olhão and Tavira. You can go by boat to the beaches or take a tourist boat ride through the park from Tavira’s dock. You can participate in these tours: Ria Formosa Natural Park Tours

Beaches in the Ria Formosa Natural Park

There is a town in the Algarve that has been kept in great shape. It is near the beach at the eastern end of Ria Formosa Natural Park. The beach is on an island and peninsula. It’s about 2 kilometres (over 1 mile) long and has calm, shallow water. There are papers from around the world that list it as one of the best beaches in the world and Europe. Luckily, it hasn’t become too crowded with tourists.

Island of Tavira Cottage

You can take a boat from the fishing village of Cabanas de Tavira to get to the beach on an island between Cacela Velha and the town of Tavira. The beach is 7 km long (4 miles long). It’s very long, so there is a lot of room and peace, and it’s almost always empty.

The only place to eat on the island is in the middle, where you can rent chairs and straw parasols. Other than that, the island is mostly one long stretch of dunes. There is a lot of wildlife to see as you cross the lake on your way there.

Beach on Tavira Island

There are four beaches on the big island of Tavira, but no one lives there. This is the best one to get to from the town centre. Every day, a boat takes people to a pier by a forest of pine trees that you have to cross to get to the beach. Families like it because it’s easy to get to and has a lot of places with outdoor seats. It also has volleyball nets. But if you keep going to the right (as you face the water), it turns into an empty island where some people feel free to lay out in the sun without clothes on.

Narrow Land Beach

The second beach on the island of Tavira is a long walk from Praia da Ilha de Tavira. You can also take a boat from Santa Luzia, a small fishing town west of Tavira, to get there. There is a bar there, and you can rent some chairs and parasols. However, not many people have found it yet. It is at the very end of the island, surrounded by sand and Mediterranean plants.

Bay Beach Barril

Before the second half of the 20th century, a small group of fishermen lived in this part of the island of Tavira for most of the year. When fishing went out of business, the empty homes were turned into restaurants, and then tourists came. Most people get there on a cute old train that fishermen used to cross a lake in the Ria Formosa Natural Park to get from the island to the mainland. The fishermen also left behind dozens of stakes that they used to keep their nets in place. These are now on show on the dunes as memories of the history of fishing.

Island of Fuseta

On the eastern end of Armona Island, it is sometimes called Fuseta Island. In fact, you can only get to this site by boat from Fuseta, a harbour town. Locals are the only ones who really know about this beach, even though it’s one of the best and most beautiful in the Algarve. Once you get there, keep going east (to the left) to reach the calmer side. The water is small, quiet, and clear, making you feel like you’re in the Maldives. Don’t tell anyone the secret!

Island of Armona

This is a 9 km (6 mi) island that can be reached by boat from the town of Olhão. A small group of fishermen live there. At the western end, by the town, the boat docks. To get to the beach, take the main street and follow a long path over the dunes.

The area at the end of the pier is where most people stay because it’s close to restaurants and the boat. If you’d rather stay somewhere quieter, keep going to the left. Sometimes after a while, you’ll see nothing but white sand going on forever. It’s not really a beach because not many people come this far. Only a few chameleons and birds will be around to keep you company. The area is empty and natural.

Island of Culatra

It has two names: Ilha da Culatra in the east and Ilha do Farol in the west. It is an island west of Armona. About 1,000 people live in Culatra, a small fishing village. The beach there is popular with people from Faro and Olhão, but it’s never busy. In fact, it’s almost empty if you keep going east (to the left) when you get there. Most of the time, the sea is quiet, and you might see some dolphins off in the distance.

Island with Lighthouse

It is named after a lighthouse from the 1800s and has a small fishing town. This part of the island is between Faro and Olhão. Going toward the lighthouse, walk through the town and past several places that serve fried fish. You’ll reach the beach. Most people stay in the area by the lighthouse, where you can rent wooden parasols and water sports gear. Keep going east to find a quieter place. You’ll have the beach all to yourself at some point.

Island in the desert

This island only has a diner, a small lighthouse, and some sheds by the pier. It’s a completely empty island with beautiful, untouched scenery that you can enjoy from a 2 km path that goes over dunes. This is the southernmost point of Portugal. The beach has a legal nudist beach on the west side and a place with parasols and chairs for rent on the east. It is the calmest on the northern side of the island, which faces the city of Faro.

Island of Faro

It’s not really an island; it’s more like a point. The most busy beach in the Ria Formosa Natural Park is this one. It’s easy to get to from Faro. Also, most homes, bars, and coffee shops have been built there. Follow the path to the east to get to the side of the beach that hasn’t been built on or crowded, which is much nicer and more beautiful. Surfers come here for the waves, but to the north, there is a bay with quieter water.

The Castor House

This is the closest place to stay to Cacela Velha Beach. It’s close to the boats, and the flats on the top floors even have views of the water when you wake up. There is a swimming pool outside for all guests to use, and each room has a kitchen where you can cook your own meals.

Gale Vila Vila Albacora

This hotel has its own pier and boats that go to the beach, so you can go straight to the island of Tavira. A group of fishermen used to live in these houses, and there is a small museum that shows how people lived here in the past. For now, it has modern rooms for tourists, some with views of the lakes in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, a restaurant serving Portuguese and Mediterranean food, and a gym with an indoor pool, and an outdoor pool.

King’s Stones

It only takes 5 minutes to walk to the tourist train that goes to Praia do Barril from this lodge. Guests can choose between homes and houses and can use the outdoor pool and six restaurants that serve food from around the world.

Conclusion of  Ria Formosa natural park

Located in the Algarve region, the Ria Formosa Natural Park is a gem consisting of natural landscapes and rich species of various activities for tourists to undertake within it. Whether in its most beautiful beaches, gentle waterways or historical villages, you will find something to interest you. No matter whether you are a nature lover or a birdwatcher, Ria Formosa offers lasting memories for the tourist. Take in and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of this extraordinary natural park which is widely acknowledged as one of Portugal’s finest landscapes.