Tavira
An elegant riverside town of churches, castle walls and an old bridge, with easy boat access to long island beaches.
Tavira is a handsome town on the Gilão river in the eastern Algarve, largely rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake. Its centre has whitewashed houses, an old arched bridge, the remains of a Moorish-era castle and a remarkable number of churches. It is a member of the Cittaslow network and keeps a measured, local pace.
The coast here lies within the Ria Formosa, with ferries to Ilha de Tavira and, further west, Praia do Barril with its field of old tuna-fishing anchors. The municipality reaches from coastal villages such as Cabanas de Tavira and Santa Luzia, through farming villages like Santo Estêvão, up into the hills of the Serra do Caldeirão.
