Ria Formosa Natural Park
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Classified as a Natural Park since 1987 , and elected as one of the 7 natural wonders of Portugal, it is a lagoon system that is constantly changing, due to the continuous movement of wind, currents and tides.
It has an area of about 18 thousand hectares , and is protected from the sea by five barrier islands and two peninsulas : the Ancão peninsula (which includes the so-called Ilha/Praia de Faro ), the Ilha da Barreta or Deserta , such as is best known, Ilha da Culatra (where the Farol de Sta Maria is located), Ilha da Armona , Ilha de Tavira , Ilha de Cabanas and, finally, Peninsula de Cacela . This entire area of enormous beauty extends along 60 km of the Algarve's leeward coast through the municipalities of Loulé, Faro, Olhão, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António from the Ancão peninsula to the beach of Manta Rota.
