Small village of fishing origins , the formation of its name originated in the existence of several freshwater springs on the beach, by the sea and into the sea.
Along these freshwater springs , set up Phoenicians , Carthaginians , and Romans, who practiced fishing and developed salting and drying of fish , which extended throughout the Algarve coast . Recently in archaeological work , traces of salting tanks from the Roman period have been found in the neighboring beaches Maria Luisa and Santa Eulalia .