With 995.69 ha, of which 262.21 ha are maritime space and 733.48 ha land, the Dunas de S. Jacinto Nature Reserve is located on the Aveiro estuary, on a narrow sandy peninsula that separates the salty and brackish areas to which the Vouga river gives a sweetish tone. The well-preserved dune string extends along the Atlantic, being consolidated by spontaneous vegetation, which includes the marlin (Ammophila arenaria ssp. arundinacea), the sea thistle (Eryngium maritimum) and the welder (Calystegia soldanella). From the end of the century. In the 19th century, the dune cordon was confined to a forested area with maritime pine and acacias, with the aim of fixing the sands. The nature reserve includes the Mata Nacional das Dunas de S. Jacinto, where forest birds, such as titmice, are well represented.
On the ocean front, seabirds can be observed, especially waders at the time of migration. The ponds or pawpaws support a variety of aquatic vegetation, having been created in the 1980s. XX, to serve as a refuge for the Anatidae (aka ducks) of the Ria and as a shelter for a colony of herons. Today, the duck is one of the areas in the country with the highest number of wintering anatids, such as the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), the marrequinha (A. crecca) and the piadeira (Mareca penelope).
Running between the waters of the estuary and the beach, which faces the different moods of the sea, an extensive walkway makes us discover the attractions of a reed of land that, in the past, was once the ocean.
Central Region
How to get
40° 41' 4" N / 8° 43' 46" W
Access from:
- Aveiro towards the beaches, on the A25 to Praia da Barra, then cross by ferry to São Jacinto;
- Estarreja, use the N109-5 and after passing Ponte da Varela, turn right towards Torreira on the N327;
- Ovar, using the N327 between Furadouro and Torreira, to São Jacinto.