Praia do Barril, Sand beach in Santa Luzia, Portugal.
Praia do Barril is a sand beach within the Ria Formosa Natural Park, featuring calm waters perfect for swimming and sunbathing. The shoreline stretches for several kilometers, bordered by protective sand dunes.
This location operated as a tuna fishing settlement until the 1960s, when changing sea conditions made the work unsustainable and the fishing stopped. The site gradually transformed into a beach destination for visitors.
The Anchor Cemetery displays hundreds of iron anchors scattered across the sand dunes, a memorial to the region's discontinued tuna fishing heritage. Visitors walk past these relics and feel connected to a way of life that once defined this coast.
Visitors cross a wooden footbridge to reach the sand, then choose between walking or taking a small tourist train along the route. Either option gives you time to see the landscape as you approach.
The former fishing village has preserved its original buildings, now repurposed as restaurants and beach facilities while maintaining the old street layout. This blend of heritage structures serving contemporary needs creates an unusual atmosphere.
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