[ 06.2012 | Olhão ]

during our stay in southern Portugal, we discovered the small islands that are located in front of the municipalities of Faro and Olhão in the Atlantic ocean. Olhão is a fishing port in the Algarve region and located close to the regional capital of Faro. apart from the island beaches, there is the marshy lagoon, Reserva Natural da Ria Formosa. enjoying the days under the sun of Ilha da Culatra and Ilha da Armona was a superb experience. finding our way through the environmental and conservation area for birds and marine life even more so. and so was the boat ride to get there.

a sailing boat is partly or entirely propelled by sails. a catboat is a small sailing vessel with a single mast carried well forward and one sail only. ‘cats’ are one type of sailing boat often used by rental agencies. there are many types of cats – and I was amused to learn that there’s also a species named ‘Beetle Cat’, which is a small (<4m) catboat first built in 1921 in Massachusetts by the Beetle family. sources: olhaouncovered.com | boats.com | beetlecat.com