Departure - Santa Luzia

1 hour Boat Tour in the Ria Formosa with a 15-minute stop on a deserted beach.

Originally made of clay, alcatruzes were the solution found by fishermen to capture the octopus. Today, most alcatruzes have an iron and nylon structure, but there are still those who fish the old fashioned way. Take the opportunity to travel off one of the most representative villages in the Algarve – Santa Luzia – passing by Terra Estreita beach, next to Quatro Águas area in Tavira, stopping at Beach Deserta at Barra de Tavira.

• Santa Luzia:

The history of the village has always been linked to the sea. The first records of inhabitants in the area of ​​Santa Luzia go back to 1577 and tell about fishermen.
The village owes its name to the first building built in the territory, the chapel, built by fishermen and dedicated to Santa Luzia, a Sicilian martyr and protector of those who suffer.

The fishing was initially done by capturing with xávegas and hook. From 1842 to the middle of the 20th century were used the appearance of the Barrel frame. As of 1927, fishermen began to dedicate themselves to fishing for octopus with rumps and creels, which led to Santa Luzia still being considered as the “capital of the octopus”.

Currently, the main activity continues to be fishing and its derivatives, but the tourism sector has had a huge development. The village is well known for dishes based on octopus. Village can be named resort because of factors like the proximity to Tavira (5min car ride, 2.5km), traditional activities that developed in the summer, the proximity of the Island of Tavira and the beaches of Terra Estreita and Barril. Beaches in front of Santa Luzia extremely crowded in the summer, have contributed to the growth of tourism in the village.

Terra Estreita beach has high-quality beach service, bar and activities available.

Tavira Island voted as one of the best beaches in Europe, the route between the lagoon and the beach is surrounded by the campsite, several restaurants and bars.

Deserta beach is accessible only by private boats or water taxis. Deserta beach on the island of Cabanas is one of the favorite beaches for those who want to escape the seasonal crowd and/or stroll through the Ria Formosa Natural Park and all its biodiversity.