FUZETA, now awakening to tourism !
A fishing village born from the sand and the sea, with an area of 36 hectares, dates back to the year 1541, and its main activities have always been connected with the sea, fishing and related industries. Back in the 15th century fishermen were already departing from this area for cod fishing.
According to existing records, in 1790 this village had 90 fishermen and 6 fishing boats. In 1835 a church, in honour of Our Lady of Carmo was erected, and to this day, still a patron of the village and images of these beginnings still exist.
The village people say that many years ago, on the 16th of June, a massive storm arose when the fishermen were all out fishing on the high sea . On the land the desperate women folk, made a huge fire in the church square, which was the highest point in the village, in order to guide their men’s safe return. From their boats on the high sea the fishermen saw the distant light and the image of Our Lady of Carmo which guided them safely to land.
Today, during the festivities of this village which are held annually between the 1st and 16th of June, a huge fire is still lit in the church square.
Located on the outskirts of the Ria Formosa, east of Faro, Fuzeta boasts of some of the best natural conditions for water sports such as fishing, canoeing, windsurfing, sailing, jet-skiing and diving. The beach and the island of Armona are made up of fine golden sand surrounded by warm sea waters, which provide many holiday makers peace and tranquillity in an area which is still unspoilt!
The architecture of the older properties is the typical Moorish cubic style, roof terraced houses with high, intricately designed chimneys and having magnificent views over the Ria Formosa and the island of Armona .
At the moment, the centre of activity of this village is the dockyard and the fishing port, where the coming and going of colourful fishing boats and the toil of the fishermen are highlights of daily life. The gastronomy, the market and the antique fair are some of the attractions of this village. It has awakened just recently to the tourism market and there are already in the pipeline various quality projects which will potentially develop this area, which has unique and attractive characteristics for potential investors.