Culatra Island Trail | Faro & Olhão

That point where the ocean meets the lagoon is depicted on the main image above. But first you’ll have to take the ferry boat from the public quay in Olhão to reach Culatra Island (please check the map below). After making it across Ria Formosa, you’ll disembark at the island’s ugly and rundown (but welcoming) fishing village. Founded during the 19th century, this little settlement supported small fleets devoted to the harvest of tuna. Follow the village’s main street towards the ocean on the opposite side and you’ll soon encounter a wooden walkway leading to the island’s pristine beaches. Image: Vítor Oliveira
 
On the boardwalk, you’ll have the opportunity to see a large dune system populated by rare or endemic plants – like the Curry Plant or the perfumed Portuguese Thyme – as well as by birds such as Redshank, Dunlin, Little Tern and Great Cormorant. Partially flooded by the tide, the island’s ever-changing sands and saltmarshes are also a crucial habitat for numerous species of fish and shellfish. That much is attested by the countless white shells that cover the island’s shallow channels.
 
Of course, visitors do not need to restrict themselves to the boardwalk: you are free to explore the surroundings as long as you don’t step directly on the fragile vegetation of the dunes. In summer, walk along the shore towards the east and you’ll eventually encounter a point where the island offers access both to the colder oceanic waves and to the warmer Ria Formosa. Here, where there are almost no people, it is not that uncommon to find seahorses drifting gently through the Ria’s gentle waters. Sunsets are beautiful. However, do not miss the last boat to the mainland as there are no tourist accommodations on the island.