Ilha Deserta's Empty Far End

Photo: Animaris, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The southernmost tip of mainland Portugal: an uninhabited barrier island of white sand and shell banks, a short boat ride from Faro. Ilha Deserta, officially Ilha da Barreta, has no town, no cars and a single restaurant by the jetty. Most visitors settle within sight of it, which is why we send people the other way: follow the boardwalk or the tideline south-west towards Cabo de Santa Maria and within fifteen minutes you have kilometres of beach to yourself, with shell drifts underfoot and the whole Ria Formosa at your back. Boats run from Faro's old town pier year round, more often in summer. There is no shade beyond the restaurant, so take an umbrella, water and a hat, and note the time of the last boat back.

Found by Adam

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