Cacela Island is a sandy barrier island at the mouth of the Ria Formosa in the Algarve region of mainland Portugal. It was part of a peninsula up to the autumn of 2010, when as a result of storm action, the sea cut the peninsula and turned its westernmost part into an island.[1]

Cacela Island as seen from the fortress of Cacela Velha, Algarve, Portugal

Access to the island's beach is made either by wading or boat.[2] The island's beach is known as Praia da Fábrica, or "Factory Site Beach".[2]

The former peninsula was 4.4 kilometres (2.7 mi) in length and its width was 0.05 to 0.15 km (0.03 to 0.09 mi).

Both the island and the remaining part of the peninsula are located in the civil parish of Vila Nova de Cacela, which in turn is a part of the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António. The island is in the Ria Formosa Natural Park.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Ria Formosa tem nova barra frente a Cacela (com vídeo)". Barlavento (in Portuguese). 2010-09-01. Archived from the original on 2015-06-10.
  2. ^ a b "Praia da Fábrica com cada vez mais turistas portuguesesf". RTP Notícias (in Portuguese). 2017-08-21.
  3. ^ "Praia da Fábrica em Cacela Velha é uma das 15 melhores do mundo". Sul Informação (in Portuguese). 2015-07-21.

37°09′07″N 7°32′46″W / 37.152°N 7.546°W / 37.152; -7.546