Explore Ria Formosa Natural Park, Algarve’s Best Kept Secret

Ria Formosa Natural Park is a natural wonder in Portugal and one of the offbeat attractions in Algarve. Read through our complete visitor guide which has all the information you want about Ria Formosa Natural Park

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Ria Formosa Natural Park

Ria Formosa in Portuguese means “beautiful river”.  Considered as one of the “Seven Natural Wonders of Portugal”, Ria formosa is a protected natural park since 1987.  The Natural park circumscribes a total of 18000 hectares. It spreads over roughly 60kms of Algarve coastline from the towns of Ancao to Tavira.  

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Punctuated with stunning beaches and islands, with abundance of migratory birds, flourishing flora and fauna, Ria Formosa is a compelling visit if you are travelling in Algarve region.

Tourists flock in Algarve all through the year, because it’s a popular beach and a winter sun destination. However, not many people know about or venture into exploring Ria Formosa Park. Partly because they don’t know such a place exists. 

If you are flying into Faro, Ria Formosa reserves are the first thing that catches your eye, as you land. The patches of mudflats and marshes with pristine beaches (that are almost empty all through the year) is a natural paradise full of flora and fauna.

Ria Formosa Visitor Guide

Ria Formosa natural park comprises of narrow strip of land separated from sea by 5 barrier islands (Culatra Island, Barreta Island, Island of Armona, Island of Tavira and Cabanas Island)  and 2 peninsulas (Peninsula of Ancao and Peninsula of Cacela).

These islands have created plethora of lagoons, mudflats, marshes which naturally became home to myriad plants and animals. The fertile land is an important breeding ground for coastal birds that include Ibis, Egrets, Flamingos, Oystercatchers. Many birds use this reserve as a migratory stopover between Europe and Africa.

Birds can be seen throughout the year, but the best seasons are spring and autumn when the birds migrate from/to Europe. Purple heron, egrets, white stork, flamingos and many other bird species that you cannot else find back in your home at such close encounter.

Endangered species like Seahorse and Chameleon can also be seen here. The park is also known for Portuguese Water Dog (a native to Algarve). 

During December we spotted flamingos, spoonbills, pintails, white stork etc. Naturally, for this reason, Ria Formosa is a haven for bird watchers, nature lovers, wildlife enthusiasts to Algarve.  

Conjointly, this is not just a place for ornithologists, but also a paradise for hikers, and to those who were bitten by shutter bug. There are plenty of walking trails within the Natural Park for hikers to enjoy the rich vegetation while enjoying the birds chirp their way around.  

How To Explore Ria Formosa

Ria Formosa is gaining popularity and there are many tour operators in Faro that do regular boat trips, walking tours, kayaking tours, photography tours and bike tours. There’s plenty of activities to choose from.

WALKING / HIKING: Either choose the tour, or go on a self-guided walking tour around Ria Formosa.  Sandy trails and boardwalks are perfectly set to be able to explore the park. Suitable to all ages and accessible to wheelchair and buggy users, the trails pass through pine forest and muddy salt patches, getting a glimpse of birds.

Early morning or sunset turns out to be the best times to spot the birds and to see the entire marshes turning golden. There are many hiking trails to choose from. You can visit this website for more information on hiking routes. 

BIKE: There are guided tours available or you can rent a bike or e-bike and whiz past the well laid out path in your own pace, soaking in the views of the lagoons and capturing wildlife. 

BOAT TOURS / BIRDWATCHING: Set aside 2-3 hours for the boat tour that are run by wildlife experts who talk about a wealth of information on birds and Ria Formosa Park.  Make sure to grab your binoculars. 

SEGWAY: Segways are becoming a popular choice of tours to explore this natural park.  It’s easy to navigate, plus they are environment friendly.

KAYAKING / SUP: Wan’t more adrenaline? Why not kayak Ria formosa or take a SUP tour and satiate your adventure thirst.

SCUBA DIVING/SNORKELLING: Why limit the fun outside water. Dip your face into the water and look through underwater wildlife. Ria Formosa has the largest population of seahorses in the world. While earlier it was possible to see the seahorses on a boat trips, they turn out to be a danger for seahorses. Hence conservationists have prohibited boat tours. So put on your gears and go on scuba diving or snorkelling and see those beautiful creatures from a safe distance without disturbing their habitat. 

5 Gorgeous Ria Formosa Islands

Ria Formosa, as a natural park is blessed with miles long white sandy beaches.  There are 5 barrier islands – Culatra Island, Barreta Island, Island of Armona, Island of Tavira and Cabanas Island and 2 peninsulas  – Peninsula of Ancao and Peninsula of Cacela.

These are reachable only by a ferry service, and dotted with powder soft sandy beaches with almost no crowd.  These island beaches can be reached from cities Faro, Tavira or Olhão.

Culatra Island

Ilha da Culatra, located south to Faro and Olhao, is a beautiful little island in Ria Formosa. Culatra is 6 kms long and there are approximately 1000 inhabitants who thrive on fishing and tourism for their livelihood.

The island has no paved roads or vehicles and the only way to access the island is by a ferry from Faro or Olhao. The ferry ride takes 30 minutes, and to walk to the beach (on the northern side of Culatra), it takes 20 minutes.

There are a few restaurants along the beach. The whitewashed cottages and lovely stretch of beach makes it worth visiting this village. 

Culatra consists of three parts:

• Culatra – a fishing village located in the northern banks.
• Hângares – a quieter area with less devlopments. 
• Farol – another village with a lighthouse located in the west 

Barreta Island

Barreta Island, also known as Ilha da Barreta or Ilha Deserta, is only uninhabited and deserted island. 7 kms long, the island has the most pristine beach in Algarve region, which also happens to be the southernmost point of continental Portugal.  

The ferry from Faro takes 45 minutes to reach Barreta.  The beach is usually quiet with only a few people. Dip in the waters, or take a long walk along the beach. Alternatively, there is a 2 km Santa Maria boardwalk.There is one restaurant O Estamine if you want to dine here. 

Suggested Reading: Guide to visiting Barreto Island

Armona Island

Fancy staying in a nice beach house or villa that’s surrounded by idyllic island and lovely beach? Armona island has a handful of well kept houses and about half a dozen of bars. Can be reached by a 20 minute ferry ride from Olhão.

Island of Tavira

Closest island from the town of Tavira, the ferry service can be taken from Quatro Águas peer and takes approx 5-10 mins only.  The island includes Camping park, restaurants, cottages.  

Cabanas Island

Apart from having a lovely beach by its side, Cabanas is also home to São João da Barra Fortress and Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Mar. 

Visiting Ria Formosa has been the highlight of our trip, and this is indeed the best kept secret of Algarve region. Visiting any of these barrier islands or the peninsula islands whether peak or off-peak season will definitely be your trip’s highlight.

The islands are well connected with ferry and water taxi, but its often always less crowded because most of the tourists tend to visit Faro beach or famous beaches along Algarve region.  In a nutshell, Ria Formosa islands are a great place to picnic, swim, enjoy the nature, watch birds, and witness a beautiful sunset. 

How To Get Here

Faro Airport is the most prominent on in Algarve region, and has flights connecting all major European cities.

Faro Airport to the city centre is 7 kms and there are bus lines 14 and 16 that connect to city centre. Alternative, you can take taxi.

If you are travelling to Faro from other cities in Portugal or Spain, there are several coaches that connect to Faro from Lisbon or Seville, the nearest cities.

Once in Faro, you can choose to stay in the one of the three towns – Faro, Olhao or Tavira, which has good choice of cottages, self-catering villas and hotels. 

Best Places To Stay in Ria Formosa

There are limited choices of cottages within the barrier islands of Ria Formosa. Island of Tavira does have some stays, but the cottages get filled up very quickly.

However, there are plenty of choices of villas, boutique hotels, resorts, cottages and self-catering in Faro, Olhao and outside Tavira, which are still good due to the proximity to Ria Formosa. 

For exotic stays, you can choose from The White House – Boutique Villa or Real Marina Hotel & Spa, both of which are located in Olhao. Quinta de Santa Margarida – Charm Country House and Quinta Soria Maria are great choice of continental resorts located in Tavira, offering breakfast, swimming pools, cosy atmosphere and an array of activities.

For a sustainable and eco friendly choice, we totally recommend Al-Gharb Tavira Eco Guest House. This is a budget guest house with gorgeous views of river and close to Ria Formosa.  You can also choose hotel stays in Faro City Centre which are great base to exploring Ria Formosa. Since a lot of tour operators and boat tours begin from Faro Harbour. 

Practical Information

Make sure to carry binocular to be able to do bird watching

Check the weather forecast and wear suitable clothes

Wear comfortable pair of shoes or welly boots if you plan to walk/hike in Ria Formosa

Pack snack-box and water bottle

Carry hat/sunglass/sunscreen

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