Ilha Deserta, Faro
The verdict
- Best for: Those who want true emptiness and nature over amenities, happy to take a ferry to a wild island with a single place to eat.
- Best spot: The ocean shore reached by the boardwalk from the jetty, where the dunes give way to a long, near empty beach.
- Know this: This is a protected island in the Ria Formosa with one restaurant and no shops, so bring everything you need for the day.
Published 29 January 2026. Last reviewed 25 April 2026
Ilha Deserta, also known as Ilha da Barreta, is the southernmost point of mainland Portugal and the wildest of the barrier islands that make up the Ria Formosa Natural Park off Faro. The name says it plainly. This is a deserted island, uninhabited and undeveloped, reached only by ferry across the lagoon, where the only structures are a wooden boardwalk through the dunes and a single restaurant near the jetty. Step off the boat and you have a long, low ribbon of sand and dune almost to yourself.
The appeal is the rare quiet. The water on the lagoon side is clear, calm and relatively warm, ideal for an easy swim, while the ocean shore is open and wilder. Birds, dune plants and the soft hush of an undeveloped coast are the whole show, which is exactly why people make the trip. Because there is just one restaurant and no shops, you should treat it as a day out into nature and pack water, food, shade and sun protection, since once the boat leaves there is nowhere to top up.
The honest read is that Ilha Deserta rewards a particular traveller. If you want sunbed service, beach bars and a buzzing scene, this is not your island and the eastern resorts will suit you better. If you want emptiness, dunes, clean water and the feeling of being at the edge of the country, few places in the Algarve match it. Check the ferry times, go in the shoulder months for the calmest experience, and let the wildness be the point.
Clubs on this beach
Ilha Deserta is a protected wild island with a single restaurant and no beach club. For club style beds and bars, see our Algarve beach clubs directory.
The island restaurant near the jetty
One restaurant operates near the jetty, serving fresh food with a wild island setting and views over the Ria Formosa. It is the only place to eat on the island, so booking can be wise in season, and menus and hours are to be confirmed.
No beach club on the sand
There is no beach club or sunbed strip on Ilha Deserta; it is a protected reserve kept deliberately wild. For club service, bars and loungers you need the mainland resorts. Details are to be confirmed.
Ilha Deserta sits south of Faro in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, with the ferry leaving from the waterfront in Faro, a short distance from the airport. The crossing takes around forty minutes and runs on a seasonal timetable, so the day is shaped by the boat times.
Drive or take a taxi to the Faro waterfront, then board the ferry to the island. There are no shops once you arrive, so carry water, food, shade and sun protection, and confirm the last boat back before you settle in, since missing it on an uninhabited island is not an option.
Reserve a day at Ilha Deserta
Ilha Deserta is a wild protected island with no club, but tell us your date and party and we will point you to club style beds and bars elsewhere in the Algarve. No charge to enquire.
Common questions
How do you get to Ilha Deserta?
By ferry from the Faro waterfront, a crossing of around forty minutes across the Ria Formosa lagoon. The service is seasonal, so check the timetable and especially the last boat back, since the island is uninhabited and there is no other way to leave.
Are there facilities on Ilha Deserta?
Very few. There is a single restaurant near the jetty and a boardwalk through the dunes, and no shops at all. Bring water, food, shade and sun protection, and treat the visit as a day out into nature rather than a serviced resort beach.
Can you swim at Ilha Deserta?
Yes. The lagoon side water is clear, calm and relatively warm, which makes for easy swimming, while the ocean shore is wilder and more exposed. Lifeguard cover is limited and seasonal, much of the island is unpatrolled, and conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Is Ilha Deserta worth visiting?
Yes, if you value emptiness, dunes and clean water over amenities. As the southernmost point of mainland Portugal it has a real sense of edge of the world calm. Visitors wanting beach bars and a lively scene will be happier at the eastern resorts.
When is the best time to visit Ilha Deserta?
June, September and October give warm, settled water and the quietest sand, with the island at its most peaceful outside high summer. The Ria Formosa holds its warmth into autumn, so the shoulder months are ideal, but always confirm ferry times first.
