Hike. Praia do Barril, Algarve, Portugal, 2019-04-25

At Praia do Barril we walked across the Ria Formosa to the barrier island protecting the highly productive lagoon system from the sea. Ria Formosa, - The Natural Park - occupies 18.400 ha and are separated from the sea by a cordon of barrier islands and fed in freshwater by small, seasonal water streams. The Ria Formosa nature park includes diverse habitats - dunes, marshlands, mud flats, pine woods and agricultural areas. It has a varied bird fauna, especially wader who migrate to this area in the winter. Today we visited the Barril beach, connected to the mainland by a miniature railway. The 1km railway was originally used for hauling goods and freshly caught fish between the fishing community and the village of Pedras D’el Rei but today transports overly excited children and tired parents! Back in the days, life on Praia do Barril revolved around tuna fishing (bluefin tuna). The beach had a small tuna fishing village. There were about 80 fishermen who lived here with their families, during the tuna fishing season (which lasted from April to September every year). In the second half of the 20th century, the bluefin tuna moved to other waters, which started the decline of the tuna fishing industry here. Nowadays, there is no more bluefin tuna in the waters of the Algarve. The beach started focusing on tourism instead. The old buildings that were used by the tuna fishermen are now converted into restaurants, bars and other facilities

Ruddy turnstone at the Ria Formosa Nature Park.

Eurasian Curlew at the Ria Formosa Nature Park.

Fishing and enjoying life at the barrier island.

Breaking waves and in the foreground a Sanderling (sandløber)

Ria Formosa wetland protected from the sea by the barrier island.

The Barril beach is connected to the mainland by a miniature railway. The 1 km railway was originally used for hauling goods and freshly caught fish between the fishing community and the village of Pedras D’el Rei but today transports overly excited children and tired parents!

Ria Formosa wetland, in the foreground Limoniastrum