Vila Real de Santo António
Encyclopedia
Vila Real de Santo António (ˈvilɐ ʁiˈaɫ ðɨ ˈsɐ̃tu ɐ̃ˈtɔniu, often run together as ˈvilɐ ʁiˈaɫ dɨ sɐ̃tɐ̃ˈtɔnju) is a city, civil parish, and municipality in the Algarve, Portugal
. It is one of only three municipalities in Portugal without territorial continuity (the others being Oliveira de Frades
and Montijo
): its territory comprehends two parts, with the municipal seat located in the eastern part. Both the city and the municipality are the southeasternmost of Portugal. Vila Real de Santo António was founded after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake
, and largely expanded in 1774 using the same architectural and construction techniques employed in the reconstruction of Lisbon
after the disaster.
The city is situated next to the Guadiana river. Before the construction of the Guadiana International Bridge
(in its neighboring upstream municipality of Castro Marim
) it used to be the easiest access to Portugal from Andalusia
(via ferry from the Spanish
city of Ayamonte
across the river). Nevertheless, international movement of people and goods is still intense and much visible in the city.
The history of settlement in the region pre-dates the Pombalinan community of the 18th century. The coastline area of Vila Real was inhabited by Megalithic tribes who constructed beehive tomb
s in the around Nora, near Cacela. The Romans, and much later the Arabs, made the settlement of Cacela an important village during their occupation of the territory, constructing fortifications to protect them from invading bands.
In 1240, Paio Peres Correia, master of the military Order of Santiago
established Cacela as his point of departure for the reconquest of the Algarve, during the Reconquista
. Small settlements were eventually established near the Cacela, including many medieval fishing villages, such as Santo António de Arenilha along the coast.
In the 17th century, the vila (town) of Santo António was an important frontier outpost, controlling commerce and developing the lucrative fishing grounds, there establishing canning and conservation industry.
Vila Real de Santo António was a relatively recent community; the region was sparsely populated prior to its foundation and Cacela was the municipal seat of the existing municipality. For centuries, Castro Marim
was the only large town guarding the border with Spain
, and the settlements in the region were small and undefended. On 30 December 1773, during the reign of Joseph I, a royal decree ordering the creation of a new town at the tip of the Algarve. The impetus for this decision is unclear, but there was several justifications for enhancing the settlement of the region, which included: increasing the human presence near the Spanish border, to prevent any incursions; to better control duties charged on cross-border activity; to be better defend the region from a full scale attack; or to provoke Spain with a modern settlement that was easily seen from Ayamonte; or to simply rebuild the nearby town fishing village of Santo António de Arenilha and resettle its population. Santo António de Arenilha was destroyed by the same tsunami
that was triggered by the devastating 1755 Lisbon earthquake
.
Regardless, the settlement was erected at great speed for the time (in only two years) and completed in 1776 using the latest technologies. The Marquis of Pombal was responsible for its planning, designing the town in a Pombaline
orthogonal grid, which he also used during the reconstruction of Lisbon. In a pioneering technique, entire buildings were prefabricated in areas outside the town, and then transported to their final destination to be assembled, which permitted a fast and methodical construction of the town. Along the river, the customhouses , was one of the first buildings to be completed during the Pombaline reconstruction, to house the offices of the Sociedades das Pescarias (fishing associations/societies), and dividing the settlement in two. Vila Real de Santo António thrived on the growth of the fishing industry, which included the processing of species of tuna
and sardine
.
The new "Royal Town" of Santo António soon became the seat of the municipality, stripping the once important town of Cacela
from this status. Cacela had, in the intervening years, gone into a steady decline as a result of the 1755 earthquake and attacks from English
pirate
s and privateers.
In 1886, it became the first city in the Algarve to have gas lighting
installed.
As the fishing industry went into decline (around the 1960s), tourism
quickly took over as the principal economic livelihood for many of its residents. The extensive stretches of sandy beaches attracted both national and international tourists, especially during the warm season. Monte Gordo is particularly visitor-oriented, counting with many hotels, bars and a casino
.
The municipality is bordered to the north by the municipality of Castro Marim and to the west by the municipality of Tavira. It fronts the Atlantic Ocean
to the south, and by the Guadiana River to the east, along with its frontier border with the Andalusia
n municipality of Ayamonte
, (Spain
). Due to its Atlantic frontage, the municipality has several kilometers of continuous sandy beaches.
The topography of the municipality is diverse. Marshes are common, especially north of the city where a section of the salty wetlands became the Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Natural Reserve
(established in 1975, this was continental Portugal's first nature reserve). Woodlands cover the planar civil parishes of Vila Real de Santo António and Monte Gordo, while in Vila Nova de Cacela, barren lands and schist
hills are more predominant. The easternmost part of the Ria Formosa
system of lagoons is located in this civil parish.
provided a refuge for several species of migratory and marine birds, namely mallard
s, flamingo
s, Kentish plover
s, little tern
s, pied avocet
s, dunlin
s, stilt
s, white stork
s, and spoonbill
s, while at the same time protecting breeding grounds for local fish and crustaceans. Chameleon
s, oyster
s, and jellyfish
(of the genus Rhopilema
) are among the species that can be found in the region and its coastal waters, while Carob tree
s, gum rockrose
, brooms
and almond trees mingle within the forests and brush within the interior.
: winters are short and mild, while summers are usually very hot. November and December are the rainiest months, although on average, the municipality has around 300 sunny days a year.
Vila Real de Santo António is one of the most densely populated municipalities of the Algarve, with a population density above the national average. The municipality of Vila Real de Santo António is divided into three civil parishes
.
and sardine
fisheries
continue to be important to the economy of the region. However, the fish industry went into decline in the 1960s and tourism
quickly took over as the economic engine of the municipality, attracting both national and international tourists, especially during the warm season. The teritary sector, particularly administration/government services and support industries are concentrated in the parish of Vila Real.
service to Lagos with connections to mainline electric trains at Faro.
The municipalities close proximity to the main A22 roadway enables easy access west, to other parts of the country, or into Spain
.
Several artists were born and/or worked in Vila Real de Santo António, providing a rich heritage in literature and visual arts. The native poet António Aleixo was particularly prominent. Xylographer Manuel Cabanas stood out in the city's artistic panorama and was a fierce opponent of the Portuguese dictatorship.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. It is one of only three municipalities in Portugal without territorial continuity (the others being Oliveira de Frades
Oliveira de Frades
Oliveira de Frades is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 145.4 km² and a total population of 10,597 inhabitants.County created in 1836 by splitting the county Lafões the existing municipalities of Oliveira de Frades, Sao Pedro do Sul and Vouzela.The municipality is composed of 12...
and Montijo
Montijo
Montijo is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 348.0 km² and a population of 40,199 inhabitants. The town of Montijo has a population of 25,719....
): its territory comprehends two parts, with the municipal seat located in the eastern part. Both the city and the municipality are the southeasternmost of Portugal. Vila Real de Santo António was founded after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake
1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that took place on Saturday 1 November 1755, at around 9:40 in the morning. The earthquake was followed by fires and a tsunami, which almost totally destroyed Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal, and...
, and largely expanded in 1774 using the same architectural and construction techniques employed in the reconstruction of Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
after the disaster.
The city is situated next to the Guadiana river. Before the construction of the Guadiana International Bridge
Guadiana International Bridge
The Guadiana International Bridge is a bridge that crosses the Guadiana River connecting southern Spain and Portugal . It is not split evenly between the two countries, with a greater share of it situated in Portugal. Completed in 1991, its structural type is a cable-stayed bridge, with a deck of...
(in its neighboring upstream municipality of Castro Marim
Castro Marim
Castro Marim is a town and a municipality in the southern region of Algarve, in Portugal. The municipality is composed of 4 parishes.The present Mayor is José Fernandes Estevens, elected by the Social Democratic Party.The municipal holiday is June 24....
) it used to be the easiest access to Portugal from Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
(via ferry from the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
city of Ayamonte
Ayamonte
Ayamonte is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. According to the 2005 census, the city has a population of 18,001 inhabitants.-Location and history:...
across the river). Nevertheless, international movement of people and goods is still intense and much visible in the city.
History
Beehive tomb
A beehive tomb, also known as a tholos tomb , is a burial structure characterized by its false dome created by the superposition of successively smaller rings of mudbricks or, more often, stones...
s in the around Nora, near Cacela. The Romans, and much later the Arabs, made the settlement of Cacela an important village during their occupation of the territory, constructing fortifications to protect them from invading bands.
In 1240, Paio Peres Correia, master of the military Order of Santiago
Order of Santiago
The Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...
established Cacela as his point of departure for the reconquest of the Algarve, during the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
. Small settlements were eventually established near the Cacela, including many medieval fishing villages, such as Santo António de Arenilha along the coast.
In the 17th century, the vila (town) of Santo António was an important frontier outpost, controlling commerce and developing the lucrative fishing grounds, there establishing canning and conservation industry.
Vila Real de Santo António was a relatively recent community; the region was sparsely populated prior to its foundation and Cacela was the municipal seat of the existing municipality. For centuries, Castro Marim
Castro Marim
Castro Marim is a town and a municipality in the southern region of Algarve, in Portugal. The municipality is composed of 4 parishes.The present Mayor is José Fernandes Estevens, elected by the Social Democratic Party.The municipal holiday is June 24....
was the only large town guarding the border with Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and the settlements in the region were small and undefended. On 30 December 1773, during the reign of Joseph I, a royal decree ordering the creation of a new town at the tip of the Algarve. The impetus for this decision is unclear, but there was several justifications for enhancing the settlement of the region, which included: increasing the human presence near the Spanish border, to prevent any incursions; to better control duties charged on cross-border activity; to be better defend the region from a full scale attack; or to provoke Spain with a modern settlement that was easily seen from Ayamonte; or to simply rebuild the nearby town fishing village of Santo António de Arenilha and resettle its population. Santo António de Arenilha was destroyed by the same tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
that was triggered by the devastating 1755 Lisbon earthquake
1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that took place on Saturday 1 November 1755, at around 9:40 in the morning. The earthquake was followed by fires and a tsunami, which almost totally destroyed Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal, and...
.
Regardless, the settlement was erected at great speed for the time (in only two years) and completed in 1776 using the latest technologies. The Marquis of Pombal was responsible for its planning, designing the town in a Pombaline
Pombaline style
The Pombaline style was a Portuguese architectural style of the 18th century, named after Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, the first Marquês de Pombal who was instrumental in reconstructing Lisbon after the earthquake of 1755. Pombal supervised the plans drawn up by the military engineers Manuel...
orthogonal grid, which he also used during the reconstruction of Lisbon. In a pioneering technique, entire buildings were prefabricated in areas outside the town, and then transported to their final destination to be assembled, which permitted a fast and methodical construction of the town. Along the river, the customhouses , was one of the first buildings to be completed during the Pombaline reconstruction, to house the offices of the Sociedades das Pescarias (fishing associations/societies), and dividing the settlement in two. Vila Real de Santo António thrived on the growth of the fishing industry, which included the processing of species of tuna
Tuna
Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
and sardine
Sardine
Sardines, or pilchards, are several types of small, oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which they were once abundant....
.
The new "Royal Town" of Santo António soon became the seat of the municipality, stripping the once important town of Cacela
Cacela Velha
Cacela Velha is a village located in the civil parish of Vila Nova de Cacela, municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, Algarve, Portugal...
from this status. Cacela had, in the intervening years, gone into a steady decline as a result of the 1755 earthquake and attacks from English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
pirate
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
s and privateers.
In 1886, it became the first city in the Algarve to have gas lighting
Gas lighting
Gas lighting is production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, including hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, or natural gas. Before electricity became sufficiently widespread and economical to allow for general public use, gas was the most...
installed.
As the fishing industry went into decline (around the 1960s), tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
quickly took over as the principal economic livelihood for many of its residents. The extensive stretches of sandy beaches attracted both national and international tourists, especially during the warm season. Monte Gordo is particularly visitor-oriented, counting with many hotels, bars and a casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
.
Physical geography
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to the south, and by the Guadiana River to the east, along with its frontier border with the Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
n municipality of Ayamonte
Ayamonte
Ayamonte is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. According to the 2005 census, the city has a population of 18,001 inhabitants.-Location and history:...
, (Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
). Due to its Atlantic frontage, the municipality has several kilometers of continuous sandy beaches.
The topography of the municipality is diverse. Marshes are common, especially north of the city where a section of the salty wetlands became the Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Natural Reserve
Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Natural Reserve
Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Natural Reserve is a natural reserve in Portugal. It is one of the 30 areas which are officially under protection in the country....
(established in 1975, this was continental Portugal's first nature reserve). Woodlands cover the planar civil parishes of Vila Real de Santo António and Monte Gordo, while in Vila Nova de Cacela, barren lands and schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
hills are more predominant. The easternmost part of the Ria Formosa
Ria Formosa
The Ria Formosa lagoon, located in Algarve, in southern Portugal, is a system of barrier islands that communicates with the sea through 6 inlets. Five of these inlets are natural and have mobility characteristics...
system of lagoons is located in this civil parish.
Ecoregions/Protected areas
The establishment, in 1975, of the Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Natural ReserveCastro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Natural Reserve
Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Natural Reserve is a natural reserve in Portugal. It is one of the 30 areas which are officially under protection in the country....
provided a refuge for several species of migratory and marine birds, namely mallard
Mallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
s, flamingo
Flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...
s, Kentish plover
Kentish Plover
The Kentish Plover, Charadrius alexandrinus, is a small wader in the plover bird family. Despite its name, this species no longer breeds in Kent, or even Great Britain...
s, little tern
Little Tern
The Little Tern, Sternula albifrons or Sterna albifrons, is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It was formerly placed into the genus Sterna, which now is restricted to the large white terns . The former North American and Red Sea S. a...
s, pied avocet
Pied Avocet
The Pied Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta, is a large black and white wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae. They breed in temperate Europe and western and Central Asia. It is a migratory species and most winter in Africa or southern Asia...
s, dunlin
Dunlin
The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader, sometimes separated with the other "stints" in Erolia. It is a circumpolar breeder in Arctic or subarctic regions. Birds that breed in northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East...
s, stilt
Stilt
Stilt is a common name for several species of birds in the family Recurvirostridae, which also includes those known as avocets. They are found in brackish or saline wetlands in warm or hot climates....
s, white stork
White Stork
The White Stork is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to end of tail, with a wingspan...
s, and spoonbill
Spoonbill
Spoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, which also includes the Ibises.All have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side...
s, while at the same time protecting breeding grounds for local fish and crustaceans. Chameleon
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
s, oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
s, and jellyfish
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
(of the genus Rhopilema
Rhopilema
Rhopilema is a genus of jellyfishes.Species include* R. esculentum Kishinouye 1891 * R. hispidum Vanhoffen 1888...
) are among the species that can be found in the region and its coastal waters, while Carob tree
Carob tree
Ceratonia siliqua, commonly known as the Carob tree and St John's-bread, is a species of flowering evergreen shrub or tree in the pea family, Fabaceae...
s, gum rockrose
Gum rockrose
Cistus ladanifer is a species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae. It is a native of the western Mediterranean region. It is indigenous to Spain, Portugal and north-west Africa. Common names include Gum Rockrose, Ladanum, Gum Ladanum and Brown-eyed Rockrose.It is a shrub growing 1-2.5 m tall...
, brooms
Broom (shrub)
Brooms are a group of evergreen, semi-evergreen, and deciduous shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the legume family Fabaceae, mainly in the three genera Chamaecytisus, Cytisus and Genista, but also in many other small genera . All genera in this group are from the tribe Genisteae...
and almond trees mingle within the forests and brush within the interior.
Climate
The climate of the region is MediterraneanMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
: winters are short and mild, while summers are usually very hot. November and December are the rainiest months, although on average, the municipality has around 300 sunny days a year.
Human geography
Vila Real de Santo António is one of the most densely populated municipalities of the Algarve, with a population density above the national average. The municipality of Vila Real de Santo António is divided into three civil parishes
Freguesia
Freguesia is the Portuguese term for a secondary local administrative unit in Portugal and some of its former colonies, and a former secondary local administrative unit in Macau, roughly equivalent to an administrative parish. A freguesia is a subdivision of a concelho, the Portuguese synonym term...
.
- Vila Real de Santo AntónioVila Real de Santo António (parish)Vila Real de Santo António is the parish of Vila Real de Santo António Municipality that contains the city of Vila Real de Santo António.It's located in Algarve Region, having a population of nearly 10 000 people, with a density of 1 177,9 hab/km²...
- this civil parish contains the city of Vila Real de Santo António which in turn is the seat of the municipality; - Monte Gordo - the civil parish includes the seaside town and tourist resort of Monte Gordo, which is located less than three kilometers from the city of Vila Real de Santo António and separated by a large section of woodland.
- Vila Nova de CacelaVila Nova de CacelaVila Nova de Cacela, or simply Cacela, is a town and civil parish in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, the southeasternmost of the Algarve, Portugal. Cacela is an exclave of the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, one of only three in Portugal to have exclaves. A lagoon and...
- this civil parish is a (rare) exclave of Portugal; it is separated from the other two civil parishes by the parishes of AlturaAltura (Castro Marim)Altura is a town and a civil parish in the municipality of Castro Marim, Algarve, Portugal. It is a popular summer destination due to its beaches by the Atlantic Ocean. The civil parish of Altura was officially created on June 11, 1991, through detachment from the Castro Marim civil parish.It...
and Castro MarimCastro MarimCastro Marim is a town and a municipality in the southern region of Algarve, in Portugal. The municipality is composed of 4 parishes.The present Mayor is José Fernandes Estevens, elected by the Social Democratic Party.The municipal holiday is June 24....
(both comprising the municipality of Castro Marim), effectively splitting Cacela from the rest of the municipality. The town of Vila Nova de Cacela was formed in 1927 when the seat of the civil parish was transferred from Cacela VelhaCacela VelhaCacela Velha is a village located in the civil parish of Vila Nova de Cacela, municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, Algarve, Portugal...
(then known as simply "Cacela") to a new urban agglomeration formed by the villages of Bornacha, Buraco and Coutada. The town and popular seaside resort of Manta RotaManta RotaManta Rota is a small town in the civil parish of Vila Nova de Cacela, municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, in the Algarve, Portugal. Manta Rota is an important tourist destination due to its sandy beaches by the Atlantic Ocean.- Location :...
is located in this civil parish, next to Cacela IslandCacela IslandCacela Island, in the Algarve region of mainland Portugal, was a peninsula up to the winter of 2010, when the sea cut the peninsula and turned its westernmost part into an island...
(which is actually a peninsulaPeninsulaA peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
).
Economy
TunaTuna
Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
and sardine
Sardine
Sardines, or pilchards, are several types of small, oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which they were once abundant....
fisheries
Fishing in Portugal
Fishing is a major economic activity in Portugal. The country has a long tradition in the sector, and is among the countries in the world with the highest fish consumption per capita. Roman ruins of fish processing facilities were found across the Portuguese coast. Fish has been an important staple...
continue to be important to the economy of the region. However, the fish industry went into decline in the 1960s and tourism
Tourism in Portugal
Portugal attracts many tourists each year. In 2006, the country was visited by 12.8 million tourists. Tourism is playing an increasingly important role in Portugal's economy contributing with about 5% of the Gross Domestic Product ....
quickly took over as the economic engine of the municipality, attracting both national and international tourists, especially during the warm season. The teritary sector, particularly administration/government services and support industries are concentrated in the parish of Vila Real.
Transportation
There is a frequent direct DMUDiesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
service to Lagos with connections to mainline electric trains at Faro.
The municipalities close proximity to the main A22 roadway enables easy access west, to other parts of the country, or into Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Culture