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The Salterns of the Eastern AlgarveThe traditional salt works, where Marisol finds its premium quality sea salt, are situated at the Atlantic coastline in the south of Portugal, embedded in the protected areas of the »Ria Formosa« and »Sapal do Castro Marim« natural parks. The design of these »salinas« follows a 2000 year old tradition, and many of them contain historic parts like tide mills and bassins used for salt gathering during centuries. Production is limited not only by weather conditions and manual harvesting, but also by the 1:10 ratio of crystallization and concentration areas to be found in traditional salterns. 
The Cycle of Salt-gatheringThe season for seasalt usually starts in May, when the spring rains have stopped and the ponds, dikes and wooden locks have been cleaned and prepared. Fresh atlantic sea water flows into the saline and evaporates gradually in successive ponds, until it has reached a salt concentration of 150 to 180 grams per litre. The brine is then forwarded to the small and flat crystallizer ponds. At a concentration of 250 to 280 grams per litre the salt starts crystallizing, precipitates within several days and is gathered by hand. After each harvest, new brine is added and new salt crystallizes. This process is repeated until the last harvest in the end of September, before the autumn rains begin to fall. In the wintertime, the salt ponds remain covered by water and the »marnotos« take care of the saltern's maintainance and the repair of their handcrafted harvesting tools. 
The Ria Formosa Nature ReserveThis lagoon landscape stretches along the Eastern Algarve coast from Faro to the village of Cacela Velha near Tavira. Created in 1755 by the last great oceanic earthquake, its sand dunes, islands and bars to the open sea are continously shaped by tidal changes. Many archeological sites show the remains of Roman and Pre-Roman settlements. Since the mid-eighties, the Ria Formosa has been a nature reserve, where sea water birds find protected breeded places and many fish species of the Northern Atlantic as well as other marine organisms reproduce. Besides salt harvesting, productive activities in this protected area are shellfish farming and small-scale fishing. The excellent water quality, without detectable contamination by industrial effluents, sewage dumping, agricultural and radioactive pollutants, favours the traditional gathering of seasalt. |
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