The Ria Formosa estuary near Faro on the Algarve is one the best places to see seahorses in Portugal. Snorkelling tours are the best way to see them.
The Ria Formosa estuary
The Ria Formosa estuary is one of the natural wonders of the Algarve. To the south of Faro, Olhao and Tavira, it is a prime place for bird-watching boat trips and lazing on huge island beaches.
But the Ria Formosa estuary is also home to a large community of seahorses, which can be observed in their natural environment by donning a snorkel and splashing around in the shallow waters.
Seahorse snorkelling tours on the Algarve
Passeios Ria Formosa tuns two hour snorkelling tours in the Ria Formosa lagoon (passeios-ria-formosa.com) is amongst the operators taking seahorse fans out there – and look out for the storks building nests on the way.
These tours cost €40 at the time of writing. They come with a skippered boat, information on the seahorses and all snorkelling equipment.
The water is relatively shallow – about 1.5 metres to 1.8 metres deep.
These Algarve seahorse snorkelling tours require booking in advance.
Which seahorses will I see?
The short-snouted Hippocampus Hippocampus and long-snouted Hippocampus Guttulatus like the lack of strong currents and an abundance of seagrass near the Ilha de Tavira, which acts as a barrier to the Atlantic Ocean.
That’s why they hang out in relatively large numbers in the Ria Formosa lagoon. They’re not the only creatures living there, however.
Other creatures in the Ria Formosa estuary that you may see on the snorkelling tour include octopuses, sea cucumbers, cuttlefish and sea snails.
What else can I do in the Ria Formosa estuary?
Other options for exploring the Ria Formosa estuary on the Algarve include sunset boat trips, eco boat tours and birdwatching Segway tours.
More Portugal travel articles
Other Portugal travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- A Lagos travel guide for first time visitors.
- Why the Algarve’s Benagil Cave is best seen on a kayak tour.
- A first-time visitor’s guide to Porto.
- Is World of Discoveries worth the ticket price?
- A guide to Lisbon’s Belem neighbourhood.
