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Tavira holidays in this pretty little town in the Eastern Algarve
Tavira Holidays - AccommodationIf you're looking for possible Tavira accommodation for a vsit, then take a look at our Tavira apartments or Tavira villas pages, to see if you can find something to suit your needs.If you fancy a superb location in the centre of the town, in an historic converted convent, then take a look at the
Tavira Pousada.
Things to do - Tavira Holidays The town of Tavira is built on both sides of the River Gilao and is full of historic churches. There are also the ruins of a castle, a 13th Century moorish fortress. Only the walls remain, but it is worth a visit, if only for the great views you can get across the town and out to the Atlantic.Another reason to visit, are the beautiful gardens next to the castle which are full of beautiful hibiscus flowers and fig trees. A great spot to sit down and relax. Did I mention that admission to the castle and gardens is free? There are some lovely walks along the river, and you can cross it via the Ponta Romana (Roman bridge), one of 5 bridges crossing the River Gilao. Its not really a Roman bridge, as it was rebuilt, having been destroyed by the great earthquake in the 17th Century. Half-way across it there are some benches to sit and relax. From here, looking into the river I saw some unusual black fish. I have no idea what they were, but if you do then please let me know. Wandering around, you'll find some narrow, hilly cobbled streets, home to some lovely blue and white tiled houses which are worth a photograph. If exploring churches is your thing, then Tavira is the place for you. There are a lot of them, twenty seven in fact. Not really my cup of tea, but we did visit a couple of the churches. The church of Santa Maria do Castelo, near the castle and the Igreja do Carmo, which did have some quite impressive guilt woodwork inside. When you need a break from exploring why not stop for a coffee Café Veneza in the Praca da Republica. You must also try one of their “Pastel de Nata”, which is a Portuguese egg-custard tart. An absolute must. If walking around is just too energetic for you, you can always see the city from the raod train, which runs every hour. It takes about 40 minutes and stops at various places of interest. It only costs a few Euros, so is well worth the cost. Ihla da TaviraThe train stops at the ferry terminal, where, for a couple of Euros, you can take a trip to the Eastern Algarve’s Ihla da Tavira. The 'Ihla' is a long sandy island, with great beaches. It is very popular in the summer, although the beach is so long, there is always plenty of space if you look. The further west you go, the wilder it gets, but also less populated with sun worshippers.This Algarve island has a number of bars and good seafood restaurants and if you like water sports then you won't be disappointed. We didn't have a lot of time there, so we hopped on the ferry to Quatro Aguas, a beauty spot at the south east end of Tavira, famous for its octopus. There are lots of good seafood restaurants here, but that is true of Tavira in general. In Tavira we liked, O Patio in the Rua Antonio Cabreira. Quite a rustic restaurant, it has a big fish tank if you want to choose your prey, although there is plenty of meat dishes to choose from. We sat outside on the terrace (you can't beat eating al fresco), where the views made my grilled sea bream taste even better. Another good restaurant we found was Restaurante Bica on the Rua Almirante Căndido dos Reis. Great value fresh food, it is a great place for a relaxing lunch. Tavira is a great place to base yourself if you want to explore the eastern Algarve region. Return from Tavira Holidays Page to Eastern Algarve Guide page
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