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Lost in the past. Stories of people and places.
The Rio Formosa in the Algarve
Flying into Faro airport at the beginning of a visit to the
Algarve you cannot miss seeing the long thin chain of sand dunes, or islands, offshore and the lagoon within them called the Rio Formosa which was originally
formed as a result of the earthquake in 1755.
The lagoon system is constantly changing due to the continuous movement
of winds, currents and tides. Classified
as a Natural Park since 1987, it is protected from the sea by five barrier
islands and two peninsulas.
Last week we took a trip on a catamaran out from Faro marina
to the barrier islands. The water was
very choppy so we were glad of our waterproof jackets when the spray came over
the bows. At low tide we could see mud
flats where whimbrels fed and storks flew overhead but the windy weather made
bird watching less rewarding than usual.
Our first mooring was on a lonely beach on the island of
Barreta or Ilha Deserta as it is commonly known, where there are 10 km of beach
and an extremely expensive restaurant. From there we motored to Ilha do Farol
at one end of the Island of Culatra. Here,
close to the Lighthouse of St. Maria are many pretty houses which are destined
to be destroyed in the near future. The
authorities have decided that these houses were built illegally so the many
tourists who pay large amounts to rent the villas will soon no longer have the
opportunity. Sadly some of the houses
belong to long term Portuguese summer residents. We lunched in a busy restaurant there, paying
15 Euros each for sardines, black pork, wine and coffee.
Today we heard that demolition of some of the houses has commenced.
On our return journey at high tide, the mud flats had
disappeared, leaving channels hidden beneath the water. Looking back at the breakers coming over the
barrier islands we were grateful for our skilled and knowledgeable guide. We will return on a calmer day to see more of
the birds whose kingdom this is.
Update http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/culatra-island-demolitions-underway/47404?fbclid=IwAR3jBI4Ana8AfF5yEnuh-rbZ1WtUaedHrl5FcXw3GYhsCf5ce5UjFt_uwt0
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