The Algarve's Ria Formosa Lagoon known as the Parque Natural de Ria Formosa is one of Portugal's most beautiful natural harbours. Situated between Quinta do Lago and Cacela Velha in the central Algarve, the lagoon is home to a wide variety of birds, plant life, and crustaceans. Large expanses of marshes and salty areas provide habitats for many types of wildlife. The lagoon is best known for its birdlife such as storks, flamingos, common caimans, dwarf sea swallows, grey plovers, tailor birds, waders, common hawthorns, straight beaked kingfishers, ducks and water cocks. Some birds of prey such as the hunting kestrel are also seen in this area.

Ria Formosa is also very well known for the production of clams and other shell fish, at low water the clam beds on either side of the Olhão channel and the north coast of Ilha da Culatra are exposed and for about three hours either side of low water their owners can be seen working on them.  In local restaurants clams are always on the menu and have the reputation for being the best in the world.

The islands of Faro, Barreta, Culatra, Armona, Tavira and Cabanas form a natural barrier to the Atlantic Ocean and it is for this reason that Faro suffered no serious damage as a result of the Tsunami in 1755, unlike the other Algarve coastal towns which were very badly damaged. Inside this string of islands is Ria Formosa, the main part is between Faro and Olhao. Ria Formosa also extends 4 nautical miles to the west of Faro as far as Quinta do Lago in the form of a narrow channel and similarly to the east of Olhão the channel extends for 16 nautical miles to Cacela Velha. Between Quinta do Lago and Cacela Velha there are 6 gaps in the sand bank, 3 of which are very shallow, the three that are navigable are: To see a google satellite photograph click here

1. Quatro Aguas at Tavira which has been deepened with dredging which continues on a regular basis and the construction of two concrete moles, from my experience there is always around 3 meters of water here.

2. Cabo St Maria which is deep and fairly wide and was created by dredging and the construction of two concrete moles between 1927 and 1950, prior to that large vessels could not come into the lagoon because none of the gaps between the islands were deep enough. This entrance has a very strong tidal stream, particularly at springs when a spring ebb can be as much as 8 or 9 knots, this has a self scouring effect and dredging is not necessary. The channel from Cabo St Maria to Faro is however dredged on a fairly regular basis and a depth of 5.4 meters is maintained all the way up to the commercial quay at Faro.

3. Fuseta has an entrance which is extremely shallow and dangerous and entry should only be attempted with local knowledge and with a shallow draft vessel.

There are two cities in the main part of Ria Formosa, they are:

Olhão in the north east corner of the main part of Ria Formosa is a fishing port with a fairly large trawler fleet. It is well known as the place where the Portuguese Water Dog has been bred for the last 1,600 years having been brought there by the Visigoths when they settled in Portugal around 400 AD. This most unusual and extremely intelligent breed has curly hair and webbed feet was used by fishermen from Olhão for chasing fish into their nets, retrieving fishing tackle and taking messages to other boats. They are strong swimmers both under and on top of the water. The breed has become much better known recently as a result of President Obama and his family being given a Portuguese Water Dog by the late Senator Edward Kennedy which has been called Bo.

Faro in the north west corner of the main part of Ria Formosa became the capital of the Algarve in 1756 following Lagos the previous capital being very badly damaged by the 1755 earthquake and tsunami. Parts of the walls of the old city still have original Roman and Moorish stonework, most of the buildings in the old city were built in the second half of the 18th century although many have parts that are much older. It is a beautiful city with some excellent examples of 18th century architecture. There is an international airport situated in the north west corner of Ria Formosa, plus of course a train station and bus station.

Anchorages:

When I first came to Ria Formosa in about 1993 there were very few recreational boats in the lagoon, but a lot of small fishing boats and long shallow draft punts with outboard engines carrying sand across the lagoon. Also, the occasional ship being piloted to or from the commercial quay at Faro, just before high water. Now, all year round there will be up to about 40 visiting yachts at anchor off the island of Culatra and as many as 10 anchored up at  the anchorage near Faro with the boats that are there on permanent moorings, plus several anchored just off Ilha Deserta between buoys nos 2, 4 & 6 in the Faro / Olhão channel and the beach. There is also a very popular anchorage at Quatro Aguas (Tavira), this can be a bit crowded in the summer but I go there quite often with a 53 foot motor cruiser and always find space to anchor and go ashore for lunch (try not to anchor on a direct line between the pier at Quatro Aguas and the pier at Tavira Island as the ferry likes to take the most direct route).

There are no restrictions on anchoring in Ria Formosa and there are lots of places where you can anchor just outside channels where there is plenty of water, I for instance often anchor just to the west of buoys nos 10, 12 and 14 in the Faro Channel. If anchoring off the Olhão channel be very careful not to anchor too close to a clam bed, this warning also applies to the channel between Quatro Aguas and Santa Luzia. Clam beds are all marked with withies (which can be seen at all states of the tide) and stones (which can of course can only be seen for two or three hours either side of low water). For advice on anchoring in narrow channels click here.

Please note: 'The Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation' pilot book 'Atlantic Spain and Portugal' is an absolute must to have on board when cruising in Ria Formosa. Do not be solely reliant on information in ths article - There is much more information in the pilot book, plus of course chartlets to show you where the best places are to anchor and an enormous amount of important information about each place.

There are now (2010) 5 marinas in Ria Formosa but sadly none of them are suitable for visiting yachts or motor boats, they are:

1. Faro – Doca de Recreio. This marina adjacent to the old City of Faro has a fascinating history because prior to the entrance to Ria Formosa being created at Cabo St Maria, ships could not come into the lagoon and so anchored outside and cargo was loaded or unloaded onto flat bottomed sailing barges which were based at what is now the Doca de Recreio (Recreation Dock) and sailed out to the ships at sea down what were then much shallower channels than they are today.  In 1899 the Algarve railway line was built and it passed over the entrance to the dock but on a swinging bridge which remaining open to vessels all the time and was only closed when a train was due to pass over it. Now with so many more trains every day the bridge remains closed all the time and is only opened very occasionally (perhaps once or twice a year) for certain vessels to pass through. The marina is therefore only suitable for small motor boats who have to calculate very carefully when there is enough air height for them to pass under the railway bridge, at high water springs there can be as little as half a meter. On one occasion I saw the owner of a small motor boat with an outboard engine enthusiastically bucketing water into his boat in order for it to fit under the bridge!  There appear to be no visitors berths, but I have on two occasions when the weather has been two bad for a return trip to Vilamoura in a small boat, been given a berth for the night there.

2. Olhão - The new marina to the west of the pier at Olhão which was finished in 2004 is being run by the IPTM (Portuguese equivalent of the MCA) office in Olhão which is on the western side of the fishing dock in a building that also contains the Capitania and the Marine Police. The marina is divided into two sections, immediately to the west of the pier is the section which is only for local small fishing boats. To the west of this part there is a small anchorage which is generally full and to the west of the anchorage a larger marina whose pontoons are filled with local boats for which there is a very long waiting list and with a long floating breakwater on the south side inside which there are berths for visiting yachts, This pontoon is very popular with people living on board their boats despite having neither water or electricity.

3. Olhão - There is a small marina to the east of Olhão Pier which belongs to the Club Naval, this is for very small boats and there are no berths for visitors. If you are anchored somewhere close there is a pontoon in the northeast corner of this marina where you can tie up your dinghy and there is a Pingo Doce supermarket within 5 minutes walk.  There is also a pontoon here where you can fill up with petrol and / or diesel. Click here to see a satellite photograph of this marina, the pontoon where you can tie up your dingy is top right next to the slipway and the fuel berth is bottom right.

4. Ilha da Culatra - A brand new marina (2009) on the Island of Culatra about 100 meters to the east of Ponte Cais, this marina is only for local fishing boats.

5. Quatro Aguas - Tavira - There is a small marina for very small boats about 150 yards up the Rio Gilão on the west bank from Quatro Aguas, this marina is for locals only, there are no berths for visitors. Even going into this marina with your dinghy is a waste of time because the gate at the end of the pontoon is locked most of the time and only berth holders have a key.

Boatyards in Ria Formosa.

1. Quinta do Progresso Boatyard at Faro - Mob:  +351 919 317171 Fax: +351 289 822506  Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
This boatyard is north of Doca de Recreio and if you would like to see the precise position click here to see a google satellite photograph of the boatyard.

2. Marina Formosa Boatyard at Olhão - Contact Claudio Bras – Tel + 351 289702162        
Mobile: +351 917290070 Fax: + 351 289702192  Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Website: www.marinaformosa.com  To see a google satellite photograph of this boatyard click here

Pilotage in Ria Formosa

Having run an RYA Training Centre from Lagos and Vilamoura during the last 15 years, I am very familiar with Ria Formosa from a pilotage point of view as it is an area ideal for pilotage training for RYA Day Skipper and ICC courses and as somewhere where various exercises can be practiced such as man overboard and picking up of moorings under sail, I have not found a better harbour anywhere in the world.

There are two main channels both beginning together at the entrance at Cabo St Maria. They share the first three port hand  buoys and then divide into the Canal de Faro and the Canal de Olhão. The distance to Olhão from Cabo Santa Maria is 5 nautical miles and the distance to Faro from Cabo Santa Maria is also 5 nautical miles. Both channels are well buoyed and have several pairs of leading lights; very precise information can be found in the ´Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation pilot book ‘Atlantic Spain and Portugal’, which can be bought on line through Amazon, the RYA website or any chandlery including Sopromar at Lagos and Constamarine in Vilamoura – contact details for both can be found by clicking here.

From a cruising point of view Ria Formosa is a wonderful place to explore with numerous safe anchorages, beautiful long sandy beaches on both sides of all the islands, a regular ferry service from Olhão to Ilha Armona, Olhão to Ponte Cais and Ponte Farol on Ilha da Culatra, Faro to Ilha Barreta usually (known locally as Ilha Deserta), Fuseta to Ilha Armona, Quatro Aguas to Tavira Island and from Cabanas to Ilha de Cabanas. Plus of course water taxis based in all of these places.

Navigable channels:

In the main part of Ria Formosa between Faro and Olhão the only channels that have sufficient water for a cruising boat of around two meters draft at all states of the tide are:

Canal de Faro (please note that Red buoy No 22 has been moved in 1998 from its former position south of the Cais Commercial  to a new position 1 nm to the north west just to the east of Praia dos Tesos at 37º 00’.50 N  007º 56’.20 W.) This channel has a maintained depth of 5.4 m up to the commercial quay at Faro, beyond the commercial quay it is much shallower so proceed with caution, in my experience there is a minimum depth of 2m up to starboard hand buoy no 23.

Canal de Olhão which has a minimum depth of about 2m up to Olhão but be careful as you go past Green Buoy No 3 because the tide may set you to the east here as it did for me the first time I used this channel. Click here to read my article on Pilotage which includes my confessing to having stopped here for an unscheduled cup of coffee!  Also IF you go beyond Olhão be aware that the buoyage changes direction at Olhão.

Shallow Channels - To the east of Olhão there is just enough water in the channel at half tide and above to go as far as Fuseta with care in a dingy with an outboard motor.  Entering Ria Formosa at Quatro Aguas at Tavira there is a well marked channel running south west and is navigable to just beyond Santa Luzia which has enough water at half tide and above for a draft of around 2 meters. Turning north east from Quatro Aguas the channel to Cabanas has enough water for a draft of about 1 meter at half tide and above, the shallowest part is in the first 200 meters, keep over to the starboard side (southern) to find the deeper water over this first part, after that you will have plenty of water all the way to Cabanas where there is a long pontoon for you to tie up and several restaurants in Cabanas.

Chart - If you are going to spend more than just a few days in Ria Formosa it is well worth getting Portuguese Chart No 26311 ‘Barra e Portos de Faro e Olhão which you can buy from Sopromar in Lagos or Constamarine in Vilamoura. There is also a chandlery in Olhão on the waterfront road about halfway between the pier and the market.

Shopping in Ria Formosa:

If you are anchored at Faro there are numerous small supermarkets within 10 minutes walk of Doca de Recreio where you can leave your dinghy, or if you don’t want to leave your dingy in the marina there is a pontoon and a wooden walkway close to the Hotel Eva and the northwest corner of the marina where you can leave your dinghy without going into the marina. Click here for a satellite photograph of this pontoon.

If anchored at Olhão you can leave your dinghy on the pontoon in the north east corner of the small marina at the Club Naval and 5 minutes walk to the north is Pingo Doce which is a very good supermarket. Also if you walk less than half a mile to the west on Av 5 de Outobre you will come across two large red roofed buildings on your left one of which is the vegetable and fruit market and the other meat and fish.

If anchored near Ponte Cais at Ilha da Culatra you have two options for shopping and both involve using your dinghy and tying it up to the inside of the hammerhead at Ponte Cais. Once there you can either use the small supermarket in the village of Culatra which you will find down the concrete path from Ponte Cais  just after the Church and Café Janocas which will be on your right the supermarket is next on your left. While you are there you could have a drink or a meal at Café Janocas where I once had the cheapest and best Seafood Cataplana that I have had anywhere. Alternatively you could take the ferry to Olhão from Ponte Cais and go shopping there.

If anchored at Quatro Aguas - Tavira sadly there are no shops at either Quatro Aguas or Tavira Island so you have two options firstly you can use your dinghy and tie it up behind the hammer head of the pier at Quatro Aguas and then walk about 2 km along the causeway to Tavira or go with your dinghy up the Rio Gilão to Tavira and tie it up to the quay on the west side of the river. In my experience you will have enough water at all states of the tide for this trip but proceed with caution if near low water springs, there is fuel if you need it on the quay. There is a large Pingo Doce supermarket on the east side of the river close to the new bridge.  While you are in the town take time to enjoy the remains of the Moors' castle, a Roman Bridge and the town itself which is mainly very attractive 18th century architecture and some buildings which are much older although they will have been repaired or re-built after the 1755 earthquake. To see a satellite photograph of Quatro Aguas click here

Restaurants in Ria Formosa: 

There are obviously a wide selection of restaurants in both Faro and Olhão, several restaurants in the village of Culatra on Ilha da Culatra, also several at Farol on the eastern end of Ilha da Culatra, plus a good selection on Ilha da Armona and Ilha de Tavira. There is just one restaurant on Ilha da Barretta (Ilha Deserta) called ‘O Estaminé’, this restaurant whilst not cheap is probably one of the best restaurants in the Algarve. If you are anchored nearby if you telephone the restaurant they will collect you from your boat with a RIB FOC.  (click here and scroll down for more details).

There are 3 very good restaurants at Quatro Aguas (Tavira) and several very good restaurants at Santa Luzia.

Finally, with prices for a berth in a marina now so expensive and bearing in mind that for most people cruising with a yacht or a motor cruiser the main reason for owning a boat is to ‘get away from it all’, I can’t think of a more beautiful place to visit and stay at anchor for a few days, except perhaps the Guadiana river just 27 nautical miles to the east which you can read about by clicking here.

To see a Google satellite photograph of the Algarve from Lagos to the Guadiana river click here.

The distance in nautical miles from Cabo St Maria to the following places are as follows:  Vilamoura 14, Tavira 16, Guadiana River 27, Albufeira 20, Portimão 34 and Lagos 40.