Monte da Quinta is a beautiful resort located on the Algarve’s Southern coast, and only a mere 15 – 20 minutes to Faro’s International airport. The famous resort makes up a corner of the Algarve’s ‘Golden Triangle’, beginning from the west of Faro’s international airport and within convenient distance and access to the incredible Quinto do Lago golfing resort built in 1970. The resort is built around the heart of the Algarve’s fiercely protected National Park, Rio Formoso.
The Algarve conservatively averages around 300 days of sunshine per year, holds numerous magnificent golf courses, and its famed beaches and stunning red cliff faces are instantly recognisable. Full of family-friendly luxury resorts, sensational beach bars and authentic Portuguese cuisine, it is easy to see why the Algarve continues to draw another 1.5 million visitors per peak season to bask in this stunning area of natural beauty.
The Ria Formosa lagoon is formed through a system of ‘barrier islands’ that connect to the sea through six inlets. Five of these inlets are natural and have changing tides, while the sixth is a man made, artificial inlet that preserves the rest and allows easier access to Faro’s port.
The Southern Algarve’s Protected Wildlife
- Ria Formosa was classified as a national park in 1987.
- The designated Natural Park of Rio Formoso spreads over 170 km² and is a stopping place for hundreds of different species of bird during the spring and autumn migratory periods.
- 18k hectares provide a rare safe, stop over point for rare species of bird that migrate from Africa to Europe.
- The area is abundant in sea life, and also provides the primary source for the seafood industry in Portugal – a good 80%, in fact. The conservation and preservation of this area are of high importance to Portugal, with resorts built in an ecologically sound and aesthetically pleasing and tasteful matter to accentuate the unspoilt preserved backdrops and landscapes.
- The area of land and lagoon spreads over a massive 18000 hectares and is now protected heavily from the power of the sea by five barrier islands and two peninsulas.
- For those interested in wildlife, snorkelling and diving, the abundance of lagoon life is overwhelming. The area is home to one of the largest populations of the seahorse on Earth.
- The Purple Swamphen is the area’s natural park emblem, with the barrier island’s coasts, lakes and lagoons also providing a naturally food-rich habitat for brightly coloured flamingos.
- Chameleons are an endangered and cherished species home only to Portugal’s Algarve -the only place in Europe.
- The once thought to be extinct Portuguese Water Dog is now found in the area.
The existence of the beautiful Monte de Quinta Resort and world-famous golf course sets an extraordinary example of elective conservation that is able to co-exist in harmony – with much success – even in an area with high levels of tourism.
A coastal set of barrier islands form together to create an ever changing lagoon in a part man-made, part naturally occurring set of lagoons, conserving a truly unique environment that is able to sustain a unique ecosystem, including the largest population of seahorses in Europe.
This stunning resort is located around the heart of the ‘natural’, nationally protected park of the Algarve, the Rio Formosa landscape. Prevailing winds assist natural currents to make this habitat truly stunning, changeable and special, and as a result is now home to a fantastic array of endemic species on air, land and in the lagoons themselves.
www.montedaquintaholidays.co.uk feature the stunning Monte da Quinta Resort. To enquire for more expert details call Design Holidays: 01444 87 22 00.
