Ilha da Armona – the complete guide
General information
Ilha da Armona is an island near the coast of Olhão. It is part of the natural park of Ria Formosa. The island is 9 kilometres in length and 100 meters to 1 kilometres wide. There are about 50 people who live on Ilha da Armona permanently. They live mainly from fishing and tourism. The island is highly rated on TripAdvisor, who named it the #4 outdoor activity in Olhão.
When you arrive on Ilha da Armona by ferry, have to walk about 15 minutes to the beach. The beach is on the western side of the island, near a small fishermen village and Barra Grande. The beach is very big and almost stretches as far as the eye can see.
The island has great beaches and is the perfect place to get away from the crowded beaches of the mainland. It is a relatively quiet beach and is a popular daytrip destination for tourists in Olhão.
The sea water is very clean and is almost transparent. The sea water on the side of the Atlantic Ocean is relatively cold, and the sea water on the side of the mainland is relatively warm. Also, the sea is quite shallow on the side of the mainland.
How to get there
Ilha da Armona can only be reached by boat. There are regular ferry that departs from Olhão, Faro and Ilha da Culatra. The journey through the Ria Formosa takes about 15 minutes from Olhão. The island can not be reached by car.
Ilha da Armona – Facilities
On the island there are several restaurants, beach holiday houses and even a camping. Near the beach on the western side of Ilha da Armona is a beach bar.
Facilities in Ilha da Armona:
• Restaurant: yes
• Bar/club: yes
• Toilet: yes
• Shower: no
• Water sports: yes
• Sunbeds: yes
• Parking: no, not accessible by car
• Lifeguards: yes
• Blue flag beach: yes