Praia da Fábrica (Cacela Velha)

Coordinates (research)

• Used: OSM relation 7212953 (natural=beach, “Praia de Cacela Velha”, Fábrica) centroid 37.1501864, -7.5533404 — centroid of the mapped sandbar polygon, not necessarily where boats land; distances below are straight-line. [Nominatim 2 Oct 2026]
• APA sampling point 37.1496, -7.5522 is 120 m away; pt-Wikipedia 37.15299, -7.54233 is ≈1 km east (towards Manta Rota); Titus’s pier pin 37.1537, -7.5537 and the OSM Fábrica hamlet node 37.1542280, -7.5542665 are ≈400–460 m north on the mainland. [APA 2026; pt-Wikipedia rev 27 Sep 2026; titusboattours.pt; OSM] → conflict slot below.
• No official CM VRSA coordinate is published; the municipality’s page gives only ‘Cacela Velha, Vila Real de Santo António’. [CM VRSA]

Access (research)

• Reachable on foot via Manta Rota, but the usual access is by boat from Sítio da Fábrica in the village of Cacela Velha. [CM VRSA, undated]
• On foot: a few hundred metres west from Praia da Manta Rota, wading across the inlet; or ask a fisherman to cross the lagoon; in summer regular crossings from Sítio da Fábrica. [pt-Wikipedia rev 27 Sep 2026]
• Titus Boat Tours (licence RNAAT 102/2010) sells digital tickets for the Fábrica crossing: adult (12+) €1.50 return / €1.00 single; child 4–11 €1.00 / €0.50; tickets for use during summer; return on the same day; payment MB WAY, card, or cash on board; parking at Fábrica or Cacela Velha, signposted. [titusboattours.pt, checked 11 Oct 2026; check the current fare before you go]
• Titus advertises 09:00–20:00 daily but says hours can change with the season and weather. Its tickets are for use during summer, with no exact season dates given. This does not confirm an October or winter crossing; check directly before travelling. [Titus Boat Tours, checked 11 Oct 2026]
• Mainland services: parking, foot-wash and bar/restaurant. [CM VRSA]
• Cacela Velha is about ten kilometres east of Tavira. [CM VRSA fortress page]

What the sources say (research)

• Fine sand, deserted and practically wild, running east to Praia da Manta Rota. [CM VRSA]
• A sandy islet south of the Fábrica hamlet was created when a new inlet opened in 2010; the beach lies on that small barrier island. [pt-Wikipedia rev 27 Sep 2026]
• Water-quality profile: beach with restricted use associated with highly sensitive natural systems, ‘with limitations for bathing use’; jellyfish may occur in the water; PNRF, Natura 2000, Ramsar; frontage 500 m; tidal range 3.4 m; mean wave 0.5 m; wind E/SE; macroalgae proliferation ‘common’; 0 days with bathing advised against or prohibited due to short-term pollution in 2025. [APA profile PTCD2W, v1/2026]
• Água balnear Fábrica-Mar and praia de banhos (lifeguards assured), 1 Jun–30 Sep 2026, municipality Vila Real de Santo António. [Portaria 204-A/2026/1]; AMN list 1 Jun–30 Sep (no year printed). [AMN]
• Not among the four Vila Real de Santo António beaches awarded the Blue Flag 2026 (Santo António, Monte Gordo, Manta Rota, Lota). [ABAE galardoados 2026]
• Views of the Monte Gordo bay, the church and fortress of Cacela Velha, Ilha de Tavira and Ilha de Cabanas; frequented by naturists and listed in LGBT guides (pt-Wikipedia’s wording). [pt-Wikipedia rev 27 Sep 2026]
• No beach facilities on the sandbar are described by any source; services are on the mainland side. [CM VRSA; pt-Wikipedia]

Open questions