Casa Flor de Sal is situated in Eastern Algarve at the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, a labyrinth of lagoons separated from the sea by a string of sandy islands. Ria Formosa has had status of Nature Reserve since 1978. This means that even though it is close to well known tourist resorts and cities, it is a fairly quiet area, and the small roads and footpaths invites for gentle walks or bicycling trips. Even if you are not a dedicated birdwatcher, it is hard not to enjoy the rich birdlife in the area.

A 5-minute walk from Casa Flor de Sal takes you to the lagoons, which offer protected swimming in clean water that is a few degrees warmer than the open Atlantic on the south side of the barrier islands - this is particularly an advantage early in the season.

The nearest town is Fuseta (3.5km) which can easily be reached by foot or bike using the quiet path along the nature reserve.

Olhão (5-6km) is convenient for shopping, especially at its fish and vegetable markets. You can find all sorts of fruit and vegetables, scabbard, sole, sardines, tuna, moray eel and all sorts of shellfish.

In Olhão there is also the shopping centre Ria Shopping with supermarket, pharmacy, speciality shops, cafés, restaurants and cinema.

From both Fuseta and Olhão, you can take a ferry and cross to the beaches of Ilha de Armona (the island in front of Casa Flor de Sal). These ferries cross the lagoon on regular intervals. Where you get off the boats there are some cafes/restaurants, and if you find it too crowded the solution is simply to wander a bit along the broad white beach.

From Olhão, you can also take a ferry to Culatra or Farol, two other of the islands that protect the lagoons.

Tavira (15km) is the most picturesque and charming town of Eastern Algarve. It sits on both sides of the river Gilão, linked by four road bridges, a train bridge and an ancient pedestrian bridge.

The atmosphere in Tavira is calm and relaxed, it is a big enough town to have everything you want and still small enough to walk from one side to the other in less than 30 minutes. At the centre, on a hill rising above Tavira's characteristic pitched roofs, is the castle with its wonderful garden and the landmark clock tower of Igreja de Santa Maria do Castelo.