Near the village of Comporta, an hour's drive south of Lisbon, the small stilted port of Carrasqueira is an Eden at the end of the world, between sea and rice fields.
A forest of stakes driven into the mud of the Rio Sado estuary, supporting a few fishermen's huts and clumsy plank footbridges. Timeless palafittes in faded colours or greyed by time, their cladding like paintings magnified by the light of the bay.
Some fishermen continue to cast their nets in the waters of the estuary. While the boats of others lazily float on the ebb and flow of the low tide.
The charm is everywhere: in the tangle of this giant mikado, in the skies ablaze with pink as soon as the sun goes down, in the glowing salicornia of autumn.
The brightly painted boats bring the milky sky to life.
They often have several lives, before being forgotten and serving as a backdrop to this enchanting spot that invites contemplation.
HOW TO GET THERE : with TAP
Information and bookings through travel agencies or the TAP PORTUGAL Call Centre on: 0 820 319 320 (0.12/min) or www.flytap.fr
Copyright Text and Photos: Brigitte Postel
