Tavira Area

Tavira is considered by many to be the most beautiful and architecturally attractive towns in the Algarve with its origin dating back to around 2000 BC.  Stand on the battlements of the Moorish castle in the centre of town and you have a panoramic view over the steeply angled tiled roofs of the city and the gently flowing river Sequia, which becomes the river Gilao as it flows beneath the Roman bridge.  Visitors cannot fail to be impressed by the number of luminous white facades, spires, domes and bell-towers.  Tavira is simply a magical place to visit, from the castle grounds filled with hibiscus and fig trees to the promenade past the old market and bandstand.

 

The town was rebuilt during the 18th Century with a Roman bridge (seen in the above picture) connecting the two parts of the town over the River Galao - the town also boasts 37 churches. The church of Santa Maria do Castelo is built on the site of a Moorish mosque and within it are entombed Dom Paio Peres Correia and his seven knights. The population is in the region of 20,000 inhabitants and is very rural and undeveloped. The beach for Tavira lies past the salt pans and is reached by a ferry that takes visitors to the sandy-bar island know as Ilha de Tavira.

Tavira has many excellent restaurants to choose from.  Fresh fish grilled on an open fire is an obvious choice.  So are lobster, shrimp, claims and other types of shellfish harvested from the sea.  Anyone who enjoys sampling regional cooking should try the local cockle soup; seafood "acorda", a kind of thick bread soup made with razor shells, cockles, prawns and clams; tuna in tomato and onion sauce, bean stew with razor shells and the distinctive clams with maize flour, known as "xerem".  Equally highly reputed is the mountain recipe for baked lamb, seasoned with fragrant bay leaves.  O Patio, on the northern side, has a peaceful rooftop setting and excellent seafood, its shellfish rice is a speciality, as is the rich octopus "feijoada".

Surrounding areas

Tourism has now become the main source of income for the neighbouring areas of Cabanas and Pedras del Rey. History has it that within Pedras del Rey there is an olive tree that dates from the 17th Century and is one of the oldest ones in Portugal standing 7.70m high and 11.80m girth.  In the town of Luz de Tavira there is one of the finest examples of Manueline art decorated around the Parish Door.  Santa Luzia takes its name from an Italian Effigy of the Virgin Mary recovered from a shipwreck and has a protective fort built within it. 

Tavira Beaches

Tavira has three beautiful Blue Flag Beaches all located within a short distance of the villa.  Blue Flag originates from France where the first coastal municipalities awarded Blue Flags in 1985 based on specific criteria covering water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management and safety and services.  Apart from Tavira Island there are many beautiful beaches within the vicinity inclluding Praia de Cabanas, Praia do Barril, Praia das Cascas and Altura, slightly further away but with a stunningly large beachfront area.

Tavira Events

  • June - Popular Saints Festivities;
  • June 24th  - Municipal Day.
  • August - Handicraft Festival;
  • August 1st - Feira de Boa Morte;
  • August 8th to 11th - Feira de Santa Luzia;
  • October 4th to 6th  - Feira de Sao Francisco; and
  • 3rd Monday of the month - Monthly Day.