This walk takes place on the south side of the Óbidos Lagoon, allowing us to explore the beautiful landscapes of the water mirror, passing by the mouths of the Arnoia River and the Rio Real, Poça das Ferrarias, the Salinas Picnic Park viewpoint and the Lagoon Ecovia. The route is a total of 13 kilometres, but if you prefer, you can do just 9 kilometres, returning to the starting point. Another event not to be missed!

The Óbidos Lagoon

Along the route you'll be able to see the characteristic fauna and flora, especially the many birds, including flamingos and herons, fish, crustaceans, as well as the traditional boats (bateiras) that still serve to develop the important fishing activity, namely the harvesting of bivalves by local shellfish gatherers.

Óbidos Lagoon is the longest coastal lagoon system on the Portuguese coast. It has a total area of approximately 6.9 km2 and an average depth of two metres, with elevations ranging from half a metre to five metres. It extends upstream essentially through two channels, to the west through the Bom Sucesso Arm and to the east through the Barrosa Arm. To the south is Poça do Vau and to the west is Poça das Ferrarias. It has a maximum length of 6 kilometres and a width of between 1 and 1.5 kilometres.

According to ancient accounts, the lagoon used to be much larger, reaching the foot of the hill where Óbidos town stands today, bathing the castle walls on the west side. Fishing and shellfish gathering are the main economic activities related to the Óbidos Lagoon and, as such, are entirely dependent on this lagoon environment. Although less relevant than in the past, fishing is still important as an economic vector in this region. The harvesting of bivalve molluscs continues to occupy a prominent place in the economy of local shellfish gatherers.

The Bateira is the typical boat used by both fishermen and shellfish gatherers in the Óbidos Lagoon. They are characterised by being open-deck boats. In the past, they were widely used for collecting silt. Nowadays, bateiras can have two engines (they run on petrol), a main engine and an auxiliary engine that can be used in the event of a breakdown. To maintain the bateiras, which happens every two years, the bateiras are immersed in water when they are parched and then painted.

- Óbidos lagoon - Ecovia - Arnóia river mouth - Ferrarias puddle - Salinas picnic park viewpoint - Real river mouth - Natural landscapes -