Ria Formosa

The Ria Formosa is a large natural park that is 60 km long and runs along the coast of the eastern Algarve. It is a transition zone between the land and the sea with roughly 18,000 hectares.

Barrier islands, marshes, sandbanks, dunes, saltpans, freshwater and brackish lakes, water courses, scrubland, and farmland all make up this important wetland zone in southern Portugal, which is home to an astonishing array of flora and fauna.

Because there are so many birds in the Ria Formosa, it has been named an internationally important wetland zone.

Northern and central European birds spend the winter here, and the region is also an important stopover for those birds making their annual journey south.

The park's mascot, the purple swamphen, is just one of many endangered species you can see here.

From a botany point of view, the plants on the dunes and in the marshes are especially interesting.

It's a breeding ground for bivalves and other mollusks, and the area supports a wide variety of marine life.

The waters inside are calm and quite sheltered, which can be an advantage on a day with higher winds or waves. We can also find some private beaches here for you to take a break and relax.

So please, take advantage of this relaxing area on your private yacht for a day.

Here, we stop for lunch at a very famous seafood restaurant called Estaminé. The foods speak for themselves. 

Cruising to the east is a more tranquil and restful experience.