Until the 1960s Praia do Barril was a tuna fishing station. At that time, huge tuna swarms used to migrate from the Azores through the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea in spring and return to the Atlantic Ocean in late summer. Today, the former fishermen’s lodgings at Praia do Barril are mainly used as bars and restaurants. Only an “anchor cemetery” in the dunes serves as a reminder us of the old days of tuna fishing.
A small train takes you from the mainland through the Ria Formosa nature reserve to Praia do Barril. Alternatively, you take a wonderful 20 minute walk along the railway.
