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Natural Monuments

Anchor Cemetery (Cemitério das Âncoras)

Natural Monuments

Anchor Cemetery (Cemitério das Âncoras)

Highlight • Monument

Anchor Cemetery (Cemitério das Âncoras)

Recommended by 104 hikers out of 108

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Parque Natural da Ria Formosa

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Location: Santa Luzia, Algarve, Portugal

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3. View of Tavira loop from Santa Luzia

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Tips

! Nacktwanderer 🆓♀️♂️⚧️🚶🏼‍♀️🚶🏼

October 6, 2024

The past of Barril beach is linked to tuna fishing. Here you can see the anchors, remains of the old fishing equipment. It is locally known as the "graveyard of anchors":

This was a passive fishing gear that was dropped into the sea and remained immobile until it was picked up by a ship at the end of the tuna campaign.

This Barril fishery, also known as the "3 brothers", was founded in 1841. The gear was used to catch tuna from the Atlantic and Mediterranean, which were then taken to the "Vila Real de Santo António".

The anchors were used to attach the nets of the fishing gear to the seabed. They had different sizes and weights. The smaller ones weighed about 300 kg, while the largest could weigh about a ton. About 12 people were needed to load the smaller anchors, and an additional 20 people were needed for the large anchors.
...

Translated by Google •

! Nacktwanderer 🆓♀️♂️⚧️🚶🏼‍♀️🚶🏼

October 6, 2024

...
These anchors were first transported to the boat and then to the sea, precisely to the place where they were dropped to fix the nets to the bottom.

The assembly of the fishing gear took about 10 days and began with the launch of the first boat at sea. The fishing season began in early April and ended in early October.

Translated by Google •

Andreas

June 7, 2025

The Cemetery of Anchors (Cemitério das Âncoras) behind Praia do Barril commemorates the region's former tuna fishing industry, which was abandoned in 1969 due to a lack of fish. The rusty anchors, reportedly 248 in number, were used to secure the often kilometer-long nets in the sea. The "capital" of tuna fishing at that time was nearby Tavira.

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Elevation 60 m

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Tuesday 11 November

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Location: Santa Luzia, Algarve, Portugal

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Anchor Cemetery (Cemitério das Âncoras)

1. Republic Square, Tavira – Tavira Roman Bridge loop from Porta Nova

2. Santa Luzia Pedestrian Bridge loop from Santa Luzia

3. View of Tavira loop from Santa Luzia

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