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One of the most rewarding introductions to the reserve is to follow the 3.2 km (1.8 mile) São Lourenço nature trail. It will bring you into close contact with two different types of wetland: the salt marshes and the freshwater lagoons.

A partly shady trail which highlights the flora of two widely differing ecosystems: woodland and marsh. The path wends past umbrella and maritime pines.

These busy kennels allow visitors to see and learn about the unique, web-footed Portuguese water dog (Animals of the Ria Formosa). The dog was bred back from near-extinction here.

The freshwater lagoons provide vital refuge for nesting and migrating birds, and harbour a miscellany of aquatic mammals. The view from the observation hides brings this sparkling marine oasis into sharp focus.

Coastal conifer woodland is sparse in the eastern Algarve, but where it occurs it provides an efficient means of coastal protection and adds to the diverse beauty of the terrain.

This innovative hospital for sick and injured birds has an area for visitors to observe the recuperating “patients”, which often include birds of prey, via closed-circuit TV.

A late 13th-century invention, tide mills were once very common in the lagoon and river estuaries along the Portuguese coastline. Power was obtained by utilizing the change in water levels associated with shifting tides. The example on the Ria Formosa is the last of 30 that used to operate.

Five Roman salting tanks can be explored near the freshwater lagoons. Dating from the 2nd century AD, they were once used for salting fish prior to their distribution all over Rome’s empire.

The sweeping tracts of sand guarding the mouth of the estuary constitute a fragile environment, partly held together by the vegetation that has colonized them.

João Lucio, 19th-century poet, lawyer and former mayor of Olhão, owned much of the land on which Quinta de Marim is now situated. His former villa, near the river’s edge, is now an environmental study centre.