Take a leisurely 20 minute drive, (it's 13km), down to the coastal town of Olhão. There is a ferry which departs at the eastern end of the waterside gardens - it has a fixed timetable, hourly in the summer and half that in the winter months. You can whisk yourself quicker than the 20 minute crossing to Armona, if you take an aqua-taxi - ask at the booths for the next available ride.

There are three drop-off points - Armona, Culatra and Farol, and the journey times are about 20, 30 and 40 minutes. They each have small villages, with a few restaurants and some small places to buy essentials from. You can swim on the lagoon shore by the piers if you wish; explore the lagoon shoreline; or just head straight for the ocean beach. How much beach do you want ? Well, Armona has the longest beach - it runs on for miles until you come to the next point of access at Fuzeta. Everywhere in between, is essentially empty and it is all beautiful. Whether you want to sit with the umbrella crowd or do the Crusoe thing, you'll have a great day on either of the beaches.