Friday, 12 February 2021

LAGOA DE ALBUFEIRA (PORTUGAL)


LAGOA DE ALBUFEIRA
38° 30′ 43″ N, 9° 10′ 31″ W

Lagoa de Albufeira is a Portuguese lagoon located in the municipality of Sesimbra, in the parish of Castelo. It is classified as a Ramsar site.
The lagoon is fed by fresh water from the Apostiça, Ferraria and Aiana streams, and by salt water from the Atlantic Ocean, when the dune cordon is officially opened in spring. It is made up of three lakes: the Grande, the small and the Estacada. Upon reaching a maximum depth of 15 meters, Lagoa de Albufeira is considered the deepest in Portugal.
Surrounded by pine trees along almost the entire perimeter, it has small sands along the sea and on the north bank. The calm waters and the wind create conditions for the practice of winsdurf, kitesurfing and sailing. Sought by countless families with children, traffic can be chaotic on weekends. On platforms in the middle of the lake there are mussel nurseries.
It integrates, since 1987, the National Ecological Reserve, being a special protection zone for birds. It has excellent conditions for sailing, windsurfing, kite surfing and canoeing. The beach is very popular for surfing and bodyboarding.