Praia Dos Salgados - 2.7 Km

Praia Dos Salgados is part of the vast, continuous 5.5Km stretch of beach between Albufeira and Armacao de Pera. Behind the beach are extensive sand dunes and a lagoon surrounded by wetlands, with a board walk between them. The lagoon and wetland is home to over 170 species of birds, including Kingfishers, Flamingos, Shovelors, Avocets, Spoonbills and Cormorants

This is the second of 3 circular walks which are part board walk and part beach. The 3 walks cover the beach between Armacao de Pera and Gale, which whilst a continuous stretch of of sand is 3 seperate beaches, Praia Grande, Praia Salgados and Praia Gale. You can combine the 3 walks to make longer walks, do any 2 adjacent walks as a 'figure of 8' or just do the board walk or beach if you prefer. The second walk covers Praia Dos Salgados. If you walk the beach section it will be easier towards low tide, not within 2-3 hours either side of High Tide. That being said there is no possibility of being cut off on the beach at High Tide. The beach is vast and impressive, the board walk adds variety.

There are places to park at either end of the walk, the google links and a couple of piccies for which are shown below. Finding either car park isn't obvious but Google maps does work to these links.

Parking at the Eastern end of the walk:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Y1ViiATx8PqQd4bEA

Parking at the Western end of the walk.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/npHGBi3orZLdR4BN8

For the purposes of describing the walk I'll assume you're starting at the Easterly end, nearest Gale, parking in the main Salgasos beach car park and doing the walk in an anticlockwise direction (boardwalk first). From the car park you can see the board walk to the beach and the Salgados restaurant, this is the end of the walk. The start of the walk is the board walk at the far right (looking at the beach) of the car park near the beach, see the piccie above. The walk starts on a board walk bridge over what looks like a river but is actually part of Salgados lagoon. After 100M you'll come to a T junction, turn right on the board walk which looks like it will take you inland but after a bend to the left takes you parallel to the beach between the lagoon and sand dunes behind the beach. The board walk runs for about 1Km before you reach the westerly car park (see piccie above). About half way along the board walk you'll find an observation platform with more information about the species of birds which inhabit the lagoon. From the car park at westerly end of the walk (also the car park at the easterly end of the Praia Grande walk) and turn left to walk on the board walk over the sand dunes to the beach.

From there turn left along the beach for about 1Km until the reach the Salgados restaurant where you can turn left onto the board walk back to the car park at the start of the walk.

Some piccies taken from the walk.