Ria Formosa Natural Park

The Ria Formosa Natural Park comprises of an extensive lagoon area that follows 60 km (37 miles) of coastline between Manta Rota and Vale do Lobo. Made up of sand dune islands, marshland, saltpans and shimmering fresh water lakes, the habitat is a sanctuary for an astonishing assortment of flora and fauna, including rare birds such as the purple gallinale. The park’s headquarters are at Quinta de Marim 3 km (1.5 miles) east of Olhão and has a first class visitor centre.

One of the most rewarding introductions to the reserve is to follow the São Lourenço Nature Trail which brings you into close contact with the two different types of wetland, the salt marshes and the freshwater lagoons. On the more shady trail of the Quinta do Lago Nature Trail you will experience the flora of two widely differing ecosystems, woodland and marsh.

Other highlights of the reserve include the Portuguese Water Dog Kennels which allow the visitors to see and learn about the unique, web-footed Portuguese water dog, which was bred back from near extinction here. There is also the Roman Salting Tanks which can be explored near the freshwater lagoons. Dating back to the 2nd Century AD, they were once used for salting fish prior to its distribution all over the Roman Empire.

The Ria Formosa Natural Park is a highly important ecosystems for the birdlife that makes use of the extensive salt marshes and salt-pans for breeding purposes. These are wetlands that provide shelter for some rare and protected species in Portugal, such as the purple gallinule, as well as for more common birds, such as the black-winged stilt. At the same time, it is also an important stopping-off point for a number of migratory birds, such as the flamingo, for example.

The purple gallinule, which seems more like a tropical bird, is the most emblematic of the protected species and has become the symbol that is used to represent the Ria Formosa Natural Park. It has an excellent dark-blue/purple plumage, long legs and a red beak, whilst the lower part of its tail displays distinct shades of white. Until quite recently, the purple gallinule was a species that was in danger of extinction. Today, in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, there are 25 couples, living exclusively in freshwater areas, which is the environment where they can find the cattail and other aquatic plants that are essential for their feeding habits. Ria Formosa is the only place in Europe where these birds are known to breed.