Cacela Island is a sandy barrier island at the mouth of the Ria Formosa in the Algarve region of mainland Portugal. It was part of a peninsula up to the autumn of 2010, when as a result of storm action, the sea cut the peninsula and turned its westernmost part into an island. [1]
Access to the island's beach is made either by wading or boat. [2] The island's beach is known as Praia da Fábrica, or "Factory Site Beach". [2]
The former peninsula was 4.4 kilometres (2.7 mi) in length and its width was 0.05 to 0.15 km (0.03 to 0.09 mi).
Both the island and the remaining part of the peninsula are located in the civil parish of Vila Nova de Cacela, which in turn is a part of the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António. The island is in the Ria Formosa Natural Park. [3]
Faro is a municipality, the southernmost city and capital of the district of the same name, in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. With an estimated population of 60,995 inhabitants in 2019, the municipality covers an area of about 202.57 km2 (78.21 sq mi).
Culatra Island is a barrier island located in the Ria Formosa in the Algarve region of Portugal. It has an approximate population of around 700 people divided across three communities of Farol, Hângares and Culatra.
Vila do Porto is the single municipality, the name of the main town and one of the civil parishes on the island of Santa Maria, in the Portuguese archipelago of Azores. Its nearest neighbor, administratively, is the municipality of Povoação on the southern coast of São Miguel, and it is physically southwest of the islets of the Formigas. The population in 2021 was 5,408, in an area of 96.89 km2 (37.41 sq mi).
Santa Maria is an island in the eastern group of the Azores archipelago and the southernmost island in the Azores. The island is known for its white sand beaches, distinctive chimneys, and dry warm weather.
Almagreira is a civil parish in the municipality of Vila do Porto on the island of Santa Maria, in the Portuguese autonomous region of Azores. The population in 2011 was 599, in an area of 11.22 km². Bordering all other parishes of the island, it is located northwest of Vila do Porto.
Cabanas de Tavira is a former civil parish in the municipality of Tavira, Portugal. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish Conceição e Cabanas de Tavira. The parish covers an area of approximately 4.2 km², and encompasses a resident population of approximately 1181 inhabitants. Once a fishing port, it is now a popular summer tourist destination, owing to its beach and island, which belong to the Ria Formosa Nature Park.
The Ria Formosa lagoon, located in the Algarve, in southern Portugal, is a system of barrier islands that connects to the sea through six inlets. Five of these inlets are natural and have mobility characteristics. The sixth is an artificial inlet that was opened with the purpose of allowing easier access to the port of Faro. In 2010, the lagoon was recognised as one of the country’s seven natural wonders. Following a public vote in which 656,356 voted, the Ria Formosa was announced the winner of the Marine Area category of the ‘7 Maravilhas Naturais de Portugal’.
Olhão, officially known as Olhão da Restauração, is a city and municipality in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 45,396, in an area of 130.86 km2 (50.53 sq mi). Located near the regional capital Faro and forming a single urban agglomeration, it is a fishing port and tourist center. Along with Faro, Loulé and Tavira, Olhão forms a conurbation from the eastern and central Algarve.
Arcozelo is a freguesia in the municipality (concelho) of Vila Nova de Gaia. The population in 2011 was 14,352, in an area of 8.50 km².
The Bridge of Praia da Barra is a modern bridge, situated over a confluence of the Ria Aveiro, in the civil parish of Gafanha da Nazaré, municipality of Ílhavo, in the Portuguese district of Aveiro. The bridge is situated on the western coast of Portugal, in the district of Aveiro, where the Ria Aveiro connects to the Atlantic Ocean.
Cacela Velha is a village located in the civil parish of Vila Nova de Cacela, municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, Algarve, Portugal. Cacela Velha is situated on top of a hill with a view to the easternmost lagoon of the Ria Formosa. It is the site of the Fortaleza de Cacela.
Manta Rota is a small seaside town in the civil parish of Vila Nova de Cacela, municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, in the Algarve, Portugal. Manta Rota is an important tourist destination due to its sandy beaches by the Atlantic Ocean.
The Aveiro lagoon is a lagoon in Portugal. It is located on the Atlantic coast of Portugal, south of the municipality of Espinho and north of Mira. Its average area covers approximately 75 square kilometres (29 sq mi). It is named after the city of Aveiro, which is the chief urban centre located near to the lagoon. Other urban centres near the Ria de Aveiro are Ílhavo, Gafanha da Nazaré, Estarreja, Ovar and Esmoriz. Some beaches nearby include those of Barra, Costa Nova, Torreira, Vagueira, Furadouro, Cortegaça and Praia de Mira. There are also beaches in the São Jacinto Peninsula.
The Fortress of Cacela (Portuguese: Fortaleza de Cacela also known as Fort Cavaleiros de Santiago (Portuguese: Fortaleza dos Cavaleiros de Santiago is a fortress in the civil parish of Vila Nova de Cacela, municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, in the southeastern Portuguese district of Faro.
The Fort of São João Baptista is the ruins of a 16th-century maritime fort situated on the western edge of Praia Formoso, in the civil parish of Almagreira, municipality of Vila do Porto, on the Portuguese island of Santa Maria.