Graveyard of Anchors on Tavira island

The island was home to a thriving tuna industry using the old Phoenician technique called Almadrava, between 1841 and 1967, on Barril beach, where approximately 80 families lived. During the 1960s the tuna numbers declined, the migration patterns of tuna changed and fishing for tuna was abandoned, as well as the canning factories in the area. Sometime after 1966 the anchors used in the Almadrava technique were lined up on the island as a monument to the old tuna fishing industry. A train was used to transport the large tuna to the mainland from the island which has been converted to transport tourists. The old fisherman's houses are now used as shops and restaurants.[1]