Ria Formosa

Declared in 1987, Ria Formosa protects a system of coastal lagoons in the Algarve, separated from the Atlantic by a chain of constantly shifting sandy barrier islands, forming a maze of channels navigable only at high tide. It is one of the few European refuges of the common chameleon, an isolated and genetically distinct population possibly introduced centuries ago by Arab or Phoenician traders, whose presence in southern Portugal remains the subject of scientific debate as to its exact origin.