Faro / The verdict
Is the Ilha Deserta beach trip from Faro worth it?
Go, if you bring your own supplies. Ilha Deserta is an uninhabited barrier island reached only by boat from Faro: 10 EUR return on the 45-minute ferry or 20 EUR return on the 15-minute shuttle buys you about 7 km of beach, one solar-powered restaurant and more space than any mainland beach in the Algarve.
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The Faro story
Faro is the Algarve's working capital, and that is exactly the point: while the resort towns stage the postcard version of the region, Faro is the functioning Portuguese city behind it. The walled old town is pretty, the marina is where locals actually sit, and the Ria Formosa lagoon begins at the end of the street. Most visitors land at the airport and drive straight past; the ones who stop tend to wish they had planned a night.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Go
Go, if you bring your own supplies. Ilha Deserta is an uninhabited barrier island reached only by boat from Faro: 10 EUR return on the 45-minute ferry or 20 EUR return on the 15-minute shuttle buys you about 7 km of beach, one solar-powered restaurant and more space than any mainland beach in the Algarve.
Go if
- You want the emptiest beach in the region and will trade amenities for space
- You are happy carrying water, food and shade onto an island with one building
- You like a beach day with a boardwalk walk to the southernmost point of mainland Portugal
- You are based in Faro and want a half or full day that needs no car
Skip if
- You want sunbeds, beach clubs or shops; there is one restaurant and nothing else
- You are on a tight day: the last return boat leaves in the late afternoon or early evening
- The 10 EUR crossing feels steep for a beach; the city beach at Praia de Faro is free and reachable by road
- You are visiting in the colder months when crossings are sparse and the water is chilly
What it costs
- Ferry to Ilha Deserta, one way: €5 (45-minute catamaran crossing from Cais da Porta Nova; children 4-11 pay 2.50 EUR and under-4s ride free). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Shuttle speedboat to Ilha Deserta, one way: €10 (15-minute crossing; the shuttle also serves Farol and Culatra). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 12 traveler reports (Mar 2025 to Sep 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 0 were negative.
What people like
- Reports from peak season describe counting fellow beachgoers on one hand once past the jetty zone.
- The 45-minute ferry ride through the lagoon channels is repeatedly called a highlight in itself.
- Travelers praise the warm shallow water, among the warmest sea temperatures on the Portuguese coast in summer.
- The boardwalk to the southernmost point is cited as the easy walk that makes the day feel like more than a beach flop.
What people complain about
- People who arrive without water or shade describe a hard day under full sun.
- The single restaurant books out well ahead in summer, so turn-up lunches often fail.
- The last return boat leaves by early evening, which cuts the day shorter than a mainland beach.
- At low tide the lagoon channels shift routes, and a few reports found the crossing choppier than expected.
How to do it right
- Buy tickets at the operator kiosk on Cais da Porta Nova or online, pairing your outbound and return times; the ferry is 5 EUR each way and the shuttle 10 EUR.
- Pack like the island is empty, because it is: at least 1.5 litres of water per person, food, sunscreen and something for shade.
- Take the 45-minute ferry for the slow lagoon approach or the 15-minute shuttle if you want maximum beach time.
- Walk the boardwalk from the jetty toward Cabo de Santa Maria, the driftwood-marked southernmost point of mainland Portugal, about 2 km each way.
- Set an alarm for your return slot; the boats do not wait and the last one leaves before evening.
- If you want lunch at Estamine, the island's one restaurant, book it days ahead in summer.
The trap to avoid
It is an uninhabited island rather than a beach club: no shop, no fresh water and almost no shade outside one restaurant. The subtler trap is the ticket shape: returns are sold as timed slots and the last boat leaves by early evening even in high summer, so booking a 17:00 return and discovering it was the only seat left is a real report pattern.
Why this verdict
Ilha Deserta earns its name. The island is a 7 km sandbar in the Ria Formosa with no roads, no houses and one solar-powered restaurant, and reports from 2025 and 2026 keep landing on the same point: even in August you can walk the Atlantic side and count the other people on one hand. The 45-minute ferry through the lagoon channels is part of the experience, passing sandbanks, wading birds and fishermen’s stakes before the dunes appear.
The economics are unusually simple. The ferry is 5 EUR each way from the Cais da Porta Nova behind the old town, the speedboat shuttle is 10 EUR each way and fifteen minutes shorter, and there is no entry fee because the island is a nature reserve. Reports repeatedly frame it as paying a small crossing for a beach that stays semi-deserted precisely because access costs something.
The conditions for the go are candor about what is not there. One restaurant, Estamine, and it books up days ahead in summer; no shop, no fresh water, almost no shade beyond a boardwalk and a few rental shades near the jetty zone. Reports from people who arrived underprepared describe a long thirsty day. The other caveat is the clock: return boats stop by early evening even in season, and the timetable is the day’s frame. Get those two right and the reports say this is the best easy beach day in the Algarve.
Timing and tickets
Ferries and shuttles run year-round from the quay by the old town walls, with far more departures from late spring to early autumn; buy the outbound and return as a pair, because the return slots sell first. In summer the last boats back are in the early evening, so a day here ends before dinner. First departures of the day are the emptiest.
Book or check times
Animaris ferry and shuttle bookingMunicipal beach page for Praia da Ilha Deserta
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See the island day ticketpartner site
Where to stay
Staying in Faro?
Which area of Faro to stay in, based on traveler reports. Search Faro hotels on Expedia partner site
Questions
How much is the boat to Ilha Deserta from Faro?
The ferry is 5 EUR each way and takes about 45 minutes; the faster shuttle is 10 EUR each way and takes about 15. Children 4 to 11 pay 2.50 EUR on the ferry and under-4s ride free, per the operator.
Is there anywhere to buy food or water on Ilha Deserta?
Only one solar-powered restaurant, Estamine, which books out days ahead in summer. There are no shops or kiosks, so bring all your own water and supplies.
When is the last boat back from Ilha Deserta?
Even in high summer the last returns leave by early evening. Returns are sold as timed pairs, so pick the slot you actually want when you buy.
Is Ilha Deserta crowded?
No. Reports describe near-empty sand even in August; the paid crossing and lack of facilities keep numbers low compared with mainland Algarve beaches.
Is there a nudist section on Ilha Deserta?
Yes, the far western end of the beach is an officially naturist zone, a long walk from the jetty side where the ferry lands.
Pack for it
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