Tuna and Seafood in the East Algarve: History and Where to Eat

The East Algarve has two sea stories: tuna fishing, which is over, and the Ria Formosa shellfish, which continues. This guide covers what you can see and taste near Cacela Velha, with sources and dates, and says what I could not confirm. I found no sources on octopus fishing in the region, so I do not write about it.

Quick answer

• Tuna: the Arraial Ferreira Neto in Tavira was the base of a tuna trap used until the early 1970s, according to Diário de Notícias (2018). Today it is a hotel with a free museum nucleus.
• Museum: the Tuna Fishing Museum Nucleus, at the Eco Hotel Vila Galé Albacora, is open daily from 9:00 to 21:30 and is free, according to the municipality's page, which is not up to date (municipality).
• Anchors: at Praia do Barril, on Tavira Island, the "anchor cemetery" recalls fishing activity (Postal, 11 September 2026).
• Traditional products: estupeta de atum and anchovy, from the Algarve, are in the DGADR catalogue.
• Seafood: the Ria Formosa accounts for more than 90% of the bivalves produced in Portugal, with 2022 data (Barlavento).
• Before eating raw shellfish: prefer licensed venues. Do not collect shellfish in the lagoon.

Tuna in Tavira

The Arraial Ferreira Neto belonged to the Companhia das Pescarias do Algarve and housed more than 400 people during the tuna season, from March to September, according to the organisers of the Almadrava festival, quoted by Diário de Notícias. It had houses, workshops, warehouses, a primary school and a chapel, and was used until the early 1970s. It lies in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, at Quatro Águas.

• Tuna Fishing Museum Nucleus: at the Eco Hotel Vila Galé Albacora, free entry, daily hours of 9:00 to 21:30. The municipality's page mentions a closure in November 2021 and a reopening planned for February 2022, so check with the hotel (municipality). See how to reach Quatro Águas in the Tavira Island guide.
• Almadrava festival: the hotel organises a tuna festival in April, with free entry. In 2018 it ran from 27 to 29 April, with lunches at 19 euros and dinners at 25 euros per person (Diário de Notícias). In 2019 it ran from 26 to 28 April, with a guided visit by a former resident, a tuna-cutting demonstration and a screening of the film "Almadrava" (iPress Journal). I found no information on recent editions.
• Praia do Barril: the "anchor cemetery" is at the entrance to the beach, on Tavira Island. You reach it from Santa Luzia by a footbridge and a path of about 1 km, on foot or by tourist train; Postal gives no prices (Postal). The sources I saw differ on the number of anchors and the dates, so I do not give them.

Traditional products

• Estupeta de atum: tuna in brine, dark brown with a firm texture, made mainly from the muscle trimmings left over from muxama and from less noble parts such as the bellies. It is salted in tanks for about 30 days and is the main ingredient of a cold Algarve salad with tomato and pepper, after soaking (DGADR).
• Anchovy: fillets of biqueirão or sardine salted and cured for 3 to 6 months, served as an appetiser or used in various dishes. The DGADR mentions Roman remains of fish salting near Lagos and Tavira (DGADR).
• Where to buy: Tavira's Municipal Market has fish and seafood stalls. See local markets and products. I did not confirm where estupeta de atum is sold today.

Ria Formosa seafood

The Ria Formosa accounts for more than 90% of the bivalves produced in Portugal, according to Barlavento (2022 data). For oysters, what happened to the Cacela farms and where to try them, see Oysters in Cacela Velha.

• Cacela Velha: Restaurante Casa Velha, with fresh seafood and razor-clam rice, according to the listing; and Casa da Igreja, with the lagoon's oysters and clams among the most common orders.
• Fábrica: Marisqueira Fábrica do Costa.
• Altura and Manta Rota: Água Salgada Marisqueira and Chá com Água Salgada.
• Tavira: see food in Tavira.
• More ideas: best restaurants near Cacela Velha and The Flavours of the East Algarve. I did not check current hours or prices.

Safety and legality

• Licensed venues: in April 2022, the Tavira Maritime Police closed an illegal depuration plant and seized 712 kilos of oysters (Postal).
• Bans: IPMA publishes bulletins on bivalves and production zones can be closed because of biotoxins (IPMA).
• Do not collect shellfish: Postal has reported seizures of razor clams and fishing gear in the Ria Formosa (Postal). Do not collect shellfish or use traps without a licence.

Where to stay

• Tavira: Booking.com · Cacela Velha: Booking.com.
• Compare the areas in where to stay near Cacela Velha · Hotels.com · Vrbo.

Sources

• DGADR: Estupeta de Atum and Anchova. Tavira municipality: museums.
• Diário de Notícias/Lusa: Almadrava Festival 2018. iPress Journal: 2019. Postal: Praia do Barril (11 September 2026), illegal depuration plant, 2022 and razor clam seizure.
• Barlavento: Ria Formosa bivalves. IPMA: bulletins.
• Photographs: Alexey Komarov (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Vitor Oliveira (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.