Lagoa de Santo André

The Lagoa de Santo André lies behind a dune barrier on the Alentejo coast, a shallow brackish lagoon of around a square kilometre and a half fringed with reed and marsh, protected as a nature reserve together with the smaller Lagoa da Sancha. Its unusual feature is management: the sandbar separating it from the sea is cut open by machine each spring, letting the lagoon drain and seawater enter, then closing again naturally - a practice carried on for centuries, originally to control water levels for farming and fishing, and now maintained for the ecology, which depends on the salinity swing. It is an important site for wintering waterbirds, with hides and trails around the margins, and the beach outside the bar is a long empty Atlantic strand with a nudist section at one end. Reed cutting and traditional fishing continue on the lagoon.

What's there

• The lagoon - a shallow brackish water body behind a dune barrier.
• The spring opening - the sandbar cut by hand and machine to flush the lagoon.
• The birds - wintering waterbirds watched from hides around the margins.
• The beach - a long empty Atlantic strand outside the bar.

When to go

October to April for the largest bird numbers; summer for the beach. Half a day. The bar opening happens in spring on a date set by the reserve.

Before you go

Bird watching needs binoculars and patience; the lagoon is large and the birds distant. Mosquitoes in the reeds. The beach has strong Atlantic currents and limited lifeguard cover. Facilities are minimal outside the village.

Nearby

Sines and its port are south; Comporta and Melides are north up the coast.

Key facts