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I explored the deserted Portuguese island with no houses, roads, cars or people
Hens, stags and golfers in Ralph Lauren shirts make up most of the passengers on my Ryanair flight to Faro.
We’re about to land in the Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost region, famous for whitewashed fishing villages, sandy beaches and rugged cliffs. And of course, sprawling resorts and championship golf courses.
Albufeira, Portimao and Lagos are the reigning party hotspots — a trio ruled by Brits abandoning their inhibitions from June to September.
But I am not here to party, I am here to find out if a 30-second TikTok video of a deserted beach framed by sun-bleached dunes lives up to the hype. No hotels, shops, roads, cars – or people – were visible. I was sold.
I’ve flown 1,489 miles to Barreta Island to see if one of Portugal’s most remote destinations is indeed the secret paradise it promises to be.
Tom Hanks in Cast Away
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Only a handful of people board the ferry to Barreta Island.
There’s an ornithologist armed with a pair of binoculars that cost more than my rent, a Portuguese couple with their son, and a woman clutching a waitress uniform, probably commuting for her shift at Estaminé, the only restaurant – and building – on the island.
It is only 10am, I tell myself, imagining that crowds of tourists are still sound asleep and will pour in later in the day. This is the Algarve, after all. I refuse to believe that any stretch is immune.
I watch the coast of Faro disappear behind us. The journey, which lasts 45 minutes, is the perfect opportunity to read about what to expect.
Barreta is one of the islands that form the Ria Formosa Natural Park, a 35-mile stretch of protected coastal lagoon in the Algarve. The park is one of the most ecologically important wetlands in Europe, acting as a vital shield between the Atlantic Ocean and mainland Portugal.
Fittingly, I learn that its other name is Deserta — Portuguese for ‘deserted.’ As soon as I step off the ferry, I agree that it lives up to its title.
A wooden walkway leads from the dock to a lighthouse at the start of the beach. There is no one to greet me, no one to rent a parasol from, no one to fight for a sun-lounger, no instructions for what to do or how to entertain yourself.
Only myself and my free will, and the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach. It’s a little disorientating.
For a brief moment, I feel like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, minus the bloodied volleyball.
Unclutching the buckles of my sandals to dig my feet into the warm sand, I notice that the only steps ahead of me belong to birds.
The island is a sanctuary for birds and 200 species inhabit the five-mile strait. Meanwhile, the surrounding waters are home to Bottlenose and Striped dolphins.
Not knowing what to do with myself, I walk, collecting seashells scattered on the beach, an unlikely but welcome return to a childhood hobby.
I spend the next few hours in and out of the water. I even attempt to build a sandcastle. I notice that I only reach for my phone a few times, to photograph the serene landscape and check the timetable for the ferry.
For anyone seeking solitude, Barreta is one of the last spots in Portugal where blissful silence truly exists.
The crowds of tourists I imagined never arrive, and no one bothers me for the rest of my stay. The island is large enough that I only catch a glimpse of my fellow ferry passengers at the restaurant over a glass of refreshing wine.
The heart of Algarve culture
In the early hours of the evening, the ferry drops me off in Faro. The city is small enough that every charming restaurant and rooftop bar is well within reach.
One of the relatively new additions to the marina is Santa Maria Petiscaria, recommended to me by Christophe De Oliveira, co-owner of The Modernist, a bohemian apartment with 1970s vibe, where I am staying.
The architecture enthusiast who, alongside his wife Angélique, advocates for Faro’s modernist heritage, has a wealth of knowledge about what’s good in the city.
A crowd of Faro locals has gathered at Santa Maria to watch the Portugal-Germany football game on the TV in the corner. Even though I am not the biggest fan, I feel welcomed and not out of place.
Manager Ricardo Couto praises me for not stumbling into one of the many ‘touristy’ restaurants in the city centre.
‘Look out for Portuguese people dining at the restaurant you choose, this is important, and particularly on the weekends,’ he tells me.
‘The Portuguese usually have a late lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. If you are in the Algarve, the restaurant will always serve fresh seafood – fish, octopus, oysters… It has to come directly from our sea.’
Food is the only matter Ricardo will get serious about. Otherwise, his relaxed demeanor only exposes the stark differences in lifestyle between London and the Algarve.
‘In Faro, everything is closed after midnight’
In the last few weeks, parts of Portugal have been hit with demonstrations against mass tourism, alongside Spain and Italy.
But, in the Algarve, this is the industry that locals rely most on. Many are forced to take on multiple jobs outside of peak season.
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♬ Boundless Worship – Josué Novais Piano Worship
This is perhaps one of the reasons that Ricardo does not mind the tourists.
Speaking of the reputation that some visitors from the UK have, he says: ‘I do not mind, as long as they keep it within Albufeira. If you want to enjoy the party scene, that’s where you should go. It is gaining the reputation of Ibiza.
‘Faro, for example, is one of the quieter places. Everything is closed after midnight.’
Drinking under a 2,000-year-old olive tree
Eating good food and drinking good wine is at the heart of the Portuguese culture.
This is why I end my trip under the heavy branches of a 2,000-year-old olive tree in the 23-hectare vineyard of Morgado do Quintao.
The organic farm in the Algarve, about a 40-minute drive from Faro, hosts intimate dinners with wine tasting as the sun sets over the Monchique mountains.
Portugal has a long and rich winemaking tradition, so there are a number of vineyards that offer tours, all available on GetYourGuide. But this family estate is like something from a film.
Learning about the history of the region and what it has to offer in such a picturesque setting is a delight worth making the journey for.
Inspired by a true local, Cristiano Ronaldo...
It is not every day that I find myself staying at the same five-star hotel as football legend, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Perched above the mesmerizing Algarve coastline, Pine Cliffs, a luxury collection resort, is where the Portuguese celebrity came for summer training alongside his Saudi Arabian football team last year.
Unlike him, I avoided the FIFA-licensed state-of-the-art sports complex -but took full advantage of the wellness facilities and the pools.
At the time of my visit, the hotel is at near-full capacity, but the vibe is still calm and relaxing, in tandem with the rest of my trip.
Gergana Krasteva was a guest of Pine Cliffs Algarve, where prices start from £481 per night for two people, with breakfast included. At The Modernist, prices start from £132 per night. WizzAir, Ryanair, Jet2 and British Airways run direct flights from London to Faro during the summer.
For more information on things to do in the Algarve, head to Visit Algarve.
