Carrasqueira Palafite Pier - Marlene On The Move

Carrasqueira Palafite Pier — Tradition In Wooden Stakes

I have long heard of the Carrasqueira Palafite Pier. The images of that jetty made of wooden stakes, the colorful fishermen’s cottages, and the boats of various sizes that are anchored there always fascinated me. To me and to the thousands of curious who, with rain or sun, every year travel to this small fishing village near Tróia to see the construction with their own eyes.

The ingenuity of the man here is ancient. It dates back to the 50s and 60s when local fishermen built this pier to park their boats, giving them a strategic position to go into the river in search of the fish and bivalves at the right tide.

I thought I was going to find an old abandoned dock, but I found a place where life and tradition continue. Fishing activity proceeds as before. The hammocks must be mend, the instruments tuned, the boats put in order for the next departure.

The fishermen no longer look up as they feel a strange presence on that zig-zagged path built on irregular rods. There’s always movement around here, especially at sunset on good, windless days. Amateur and professional photographers try to capture that unique image of the Palafite Pier. One of the visiting cards of the area.