Mata Nacional das Dunas de Vila Real de Santo Antonio
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Excellent for cycling, with flat and well-maintained trails. In summer, the shade of the pine forest is a refuge from the heat. You can combine the walk in the forest with a trip to Monte Gordo beach.
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Cacela Velha
A tiny village perched on a white cliff with stunning views of the Ria Formosa and the ocean. The few whitewashed houses, the medieval church, and the fortress create a poetic scene untouched by time. Below, the deserted beach stretches for kilometers between the lagoon and the sea, accessible only by boat when the tide rises.
Vila Real de Santo Antonio
Praia da Fábrica
A beautiful, extensive sandy beach near Cacela Velha, also known as Praia de Cacela. When the tide rises, crossing to the beach is done by boat, adding a touch of adventure to the experience. The fine sand and calm waters of Ria Formosa on one side and the ocean on the other make this beach one of the most special in the Algarve's eastern region.
Vila Real de Santo Antonio
Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Nature Reserve
This was the first nature reserve created in Portugal, in March 1975. It covers about 2,300 hectares beside the mouth of the Guadiana, spread across the municipalities of Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António. Close to 70% of it is wetland: salt marsh, brackish water, salt pans and tidal creeks. The rest is dry farmland and the first slopes of the hills. Large numbers of waterbirds pass through, overwinter or nest here, making the reserve one of the most important birding areas in the country. The black-winged stilt is its symbol, and the site is a Ramsar wetland of international importance. The Lezíria and Carrasqueira creeks are important fish nurseries, and salt-making is still the main economic activity inside the reserve. The visitor and interpretation centre is at Sapal de Venta Moinhos and, since December 2023, has housed an immersive permanent exhibition about the protected area.
Castro Marim
Monte Francisco
Monte Francisco is a village north of Castro Marim town with an unexpected link to flamenco. According to Castro Marim council, this is where Luzia Gomes was born, the mother of guitarist Paco de Lucía. In 2016 the council announced a memorial in the square where she lived, and in 2017 it put out a tender to remodel it and rename it Largo Paco de Lucía, a project budgeted at 325,000 euros with European funding. The plans included a landscaped pedestrian space, works by painter Carlos Luz and sculptor Carlos Oliveira, and a sound system playing the guitarist's music. Castro Marim has also held a Festival de Lucía in his honour. The GR15 Rota do Guadiana trail runs through the village and past the square, on the stretch that comes from Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim and carries on to Junqueira.
Castro Marim