Ria Formosa

Ria Formosa Natural Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Location	Algarve, Portugal
Coordinates	36°59′51.5″N 7°51′39.2″W / 36.997639°N 7.860889°W / 36.997639; -7.860889Coordinates: 36°59′51.5″N 7°51′39.2″W / 36.997639°N 7.860889°W / 36.997639; -7.860889
Area	179.01 km2 (69.12 sq mi)[1]
Established	May 2, 1978 (1978-05-02)
Governing body	ICNF
Ramsar Wetland
Designated	24 November 1980
Reference no.	212[2]

The Ria Formosa lagoon, located in the Algarve, in southern Portugal, is a system of barrier islands that communicates with the sea through six inlets. 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.^[3] 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’.^[4]

Presently the main inlet of the system is the Faro-Olhão inlet, which was artificially opened. The process started in 1927 but only in 1952 were the engineering works completed and it assumed the present configuration.

Ria Formosa in Tavira

Ria Formosa here seen southeast of Faro

Within the Ria Formosa system, different and sometimes antagonistic uses may be found. Part of the system is a Natural Park 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.

The Ria Formosa is also a designated Natural Park of over 170 km² and a stopping place for hundreds of different birds during the spring and autumn migratory periods.

Besides being a natural park, Ria Formosa is classified as a Ramsar site^[5] Ria Formosa is also listed by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area, both in its lagoon area with 23,296 hectares^[6] and the oceanic zone with 19,900 hectares.^[7]

The most important cities near the Ria Formosa are Tavira, Faro and Olhão.

There are also some towns in this area, whose names are: Fuzeta (which belongs to the municipality of Olhão), Santa Luzia, Cabanas de Tavira (these last two belonging to Tavira) and Cacela Velha (which belongs to Vila Real de Santo António).

Several buses run from Tavira to Cabanas and back each weekday, but there are no buses on Saturday afternoons nor all day Sundays and Holidays, even in summer. The nearest train station is in nearby which is on the Tavira to Vila Real line. That's about 1 mile (1.6 km) and an easy walk. Trains stop there daily, but at very irregular intervals of 1-3h.

Entertainment[]

Little villages and towns in the area, such as Cabanas de Tavira, have a large number of bars, cafés and restaurants which run 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.

Islands and beaches[]

Ria Formosa is located in the southernmost portion of the Algarve and continental Portugal and has a remarkably mild climate, with sunny days all year round. Because of these features, beaches in the Ria Formosa area are well known. The majority of the islands of the Algarve are part of the wetland, Armona Island, Barreta Island, Cacela Island, Culatra Island and Tavira Island are some of them. It also hosts small communities such as Vale do Lobo, Cabanas de Tavira, Cacela Velha and Manta Rota. Barril beach attracts a good number of naturists. Tavira Island Beach has a camping park.

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ria Formosa.

• Video showing the train trip to Praia do Barril, located inside the natural park