Ria Formosa

Behind the sandbars of the eastern Algarve lies a shallow lagoon stretching for tens of kilometres and opening to the sea through six inlets, one of them cut for the port of Faro, protected by a chain of low barrier islands that shift with the storms. Tides run everything. Twice a day the channels empty to mudflats where clam gatherers work with rakes and waders feed in numbers, then fill again for the ferries. Salt pans on the inner edge still produce, and their pools attract flamingos and spoonbills through the cooler months. Some 170 square kilometres are a natural park and Ramsar site, and in 2010 a public vote named it one of the seven natural wonders of Portugal. The islands themselves are sand, dune and a few settlements: Culatra with its fishing community, Armona and Tavira with summer beach traffic, Deserta with almost nothing on it at all.

What you'll find

• The barrier islands - sand strips reached only by ferry or small boat.
• The salt pans - working evaporation pools with flamingos in winter.
• Low-tide mudflats - clam beds, waders and channels drained bare.
• The Quinta do Lago boardwalks - easy birdwatching over lagoon and reeds.

When to go

Spring and autumn combine bird numbers with tolerable heat. Winter is quiet and good for flamingos, though island services shrink to almost nothing. Summer works for beaches, but ferries queue and the islands get busy. Check tide tables before booking any boat trip, since the shallow channels dictate where operators can actually take you.

What to expect

The islands are flat sand with limited shade and, on the smaller ones, no shop or drinking water. Ferry timetables are sparse outside summer and missing the last boat is a real risk. Mudflats at low tide smell strongly. Boat tours vary in quality, and some promise seahorses or flamingos that you may never see.

Nearby

Faro old town, Olhao's market halls and the hill village of Cacela Velha.

Key facts