Getting to Know

Tavira Municipality

No. of inhabitants in 2001 = 24 997 Area 608,6 (Km2)

Luz
The houses in Luz de Tavira have the traditional "platibandas" - borders painted with geometrical or floral motifs that frame the walls, windows and doorways - many of which are masterpieces of mortar work.
The influence of the Art Nouveau decorative style, popular at the beginning of the century, is apparent in the ornate chimneys rising from the roofs.

Main church
Built in the 16th century, much of the original structure has survived to the present day. The imposing Renaissance porch takes up a large part of the main façade. The roofs of the three naves are hidden by an original and highly decorative ensemble made up of one semi-circular and two triangular pediments. A statue of Nossa Senhora da Luz (Our lady of the Light) stands in a niche.
There is a very ornate side porch in the Manueline style, with columns carved in the shape of twisted ropes, a typically nautical motif.
On the walls of the church there are four stone rosettes, interpreted as symbols of the sun, moon and stars. The three naves of the interior are spanned by painted vaults. In the main chapel there is a Renaissance retable that is contemporary with the church itself, although the paintings date from the 17th century.
The steps and pavement are decorated with 16th century tiles from Seville. Among the statues to be seen, some of which date from the 17th and 18th centuries, pride of place goes to that of the church's, patron saint (16th century), which is kept in the sacristy.

A short way away stands the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Livramento (Our lady of the Liberation) (18th century), the exterior of which is plain and slightly bizarre.
Its altar is in the baroque style and is fashioned wholly out of marble of various colours quarried in the Algarve.

The Roman Town of Balsa
As its name suggests, Balsa may originally have been a native settlement. From the time of Julius Caesar or Augustus onward (1st century B. C.) it was an important Roman town.
In the 2nd century it was elevated to the status of a "municipium", a move which prompted a programme of public works, including the construction, among other buildings, of a circus. Balsa was definitely inhabited until the 6th century but was abandoned at some as yet undetermined later stage. The local economy, like that of other Roman cities on the Algarve coast, was based on fishing and fish salting, as well as trade.

Located on the Quinta de Torre de Ares and Quinta das Antas farms (near to Pedras d'El Rei), opposite the Ria Formosa and the sea, the town of Balsa was the site of archaeological digs at the end of the 19th century which in the 20th yelded a valuable hoard of artefacts now kept in the National Archaeological Museum, in Lisbon. Balsa thus remains a treasure trove of art and history waiting to be uncovered.

Estiramantens
This is a typical Algarvean Village, notable for its attractive chimneys. Monte da Guerreira Museum (Zézinho de Beja) Housed in a typical Algarvean farmhouse, this museum contains an exhibition of religious art and decorative arts from the 17th and 18th centuries, including statues, china, glass, silver and furniture.

Conceição
This town of farmers and fishermen has old houses tucked away down narrow streets and open views of sea and shore.

Main church
The church's gothic origins are evident from the fine main porch, which boasts five re-entrant columns. It has suffered a number of modifications since it was first built. The main chapel has a gothic vault and a triumphal arch in the Renaissance style (16th century).
There are statues from the 17th and 18th centuries. Among the items in the church's holy treasure is a 17th century silver monstrance.

Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo
Surrounded by groves of flourishing almond and orange trees, this is a town typical of the limestone lands of the Algarve's intermediate rural area, known as the "Barrocal".

From the Beaches to the Hills
The blue of the sea gives way to the pale gold of send, the calm waters of the Ria Formosa, the lush green of flat fields where the old scoop wheels that used to draw water up from the depths of the wells are still to be seen. In the background loom the rounded forms of the hill ranges of the interior.
Between them and the coastal plain are gentle slopes covered with fig, almond, olive and carob trees, typical of the limestone soils of the "Barrocal".

Before heading into the "Barrocal" and on towards the hilltops in the far distance, it is worth visiting the Torre de Ares to take in the panoramic views afforded by this former coastal watchtower.
Take the time to walk around the triangle marked out by the shore and the pretty village of Santo Estêvão, with its white houses, interesting chimneys, bell-tower and church, the last of which is home to a number of 17th and 18th century statutes.
All around, refreshed by the water, are fields of orange, loquat and other fruit trees, flourishing vegetable gardens and bright flowers. It is a place for quit walks through an idyllic landscape, an opportunity to savour a few moments of tranquillity.

Further north, the land is given over to crops that can resist drier conditions. Birds sing among the branches of the trees. There are alluring spots along the banks of the Asseca creek, as well as a small waterfall at Moínhos da Rocha.
The soils here are deep red, and the underlying limestone breaks the surface in places like a giant's bones.
This is the "Barrocal", a transitional Algarve linking the sea with the hills. It is home to the dwarf palm, which grows wild on its slopes and has been used for thousands of years to make useful implements ranging from brooms to baskets.

Now the traveller reaches the hills.
These are at their most beautiful, their most authentic, when seen on foot or from the unmetalled tracks that link tiny hamlets of no more than a dozen or so houses with evocative names like Casa Queimada, Ríbeira das Umbrias and Catraia. Cachopo, a large village in the hills, stands on the peak of a hill, proud of its whitewashed church, perched at the top of a flight of steps, and of its past.
In days gone by it was a resort popular with visitors who came for its healthy airs and for the curative powers of the iron-rich waters that bubble from a nearby spring. Nearby, in the village of Mealha, stands the Pedras A1tas (High Stones) dolmen and, a little further on, in Alcarias Pedro Guerreiro, are the dolmens of Masmora and castelhana.

Main church
The church is in the Renaissance style (16th century) and has a decorated porch. The interior is made up of three naves and has columns with Ionic capitals. The main chapel is spanned by a painted vault and has, to one side, a Manueline doorway (16th century).
Among the statues to he seen, there is a 16th century Nossa Senhora da Graça (Our Lady of the Grace) which is particularly deserving of mention. The Adoration of the Shepherds is depicted on a panel.

The Pleasures of Sun and Sea

Ilha da Tavira (Isle of Tavira)
There are regular ferry crossings to this island, which lies opposite the city and has long beaches and support facilities.

Cabanas
Separated by an arm of the Ria Formosa, Cabanas is quiet and isolated.
It can be reached by boat from Tavira.

On the sand bank stands the fort of São João da Barra, at the entrance to the harbour, built to a polygonal design in the 17th/18th centuries. Support facilities.

Conceição
Opposite the village of the same name. Reached by boat. Extensive beach. Very calm.

Santa Luzia
A vast beach that offers hours of solitude, coupled with the pleasure of warm, clear waters.

Barril
Barril is long enough to encompass both a cosmopolitan atmosphere and near complete isolation. Buildings that were once a part of a tuna factory and have now been adapted for tourism recall the days when fishermen sailed in small boats to wrest their catch from the sea.

Traditional Crafts
The persistence of techniques handed down from generation to generation is a sign of the vitality of popular culture. The saddlemakers of Tavira and Cachopo still twist brightly coloured woollen threads into decorative flourishes worn by the mules used in the hills to till the fields and pull painted carts.
The women of Cachopo dye wool and cotton threads with dyes extracted from plants and weave them into colourful blankets on wooden looms.
Cachopo also produces knitted garments decorated with embroidery inspired by the wild flowers found in the fields.
In Tavira there are blacksmiths who produce artful wrought ironwork and there is a strong tradition of lace making among the female population.
Conceição is home to potters, who make "covos" - earthenware traps used in fishing - and other useful vessels as well as producing hand-made ceramic tiles.

Good Food and Fine Wine
Fresh fish, grilled on an open fire, is an obvious choice in Tavira and the fishing villages of the coast. So are lobster, shrimp, clams and other types of shellfish harvested from the sea or the Ria Formosa Anyone who enjoys sampling regional cooking should try the tasty local cockle soup; sea food "açorda", a kind of thick bread soup made with razor shells, cockles, prawns and clams; tuna in a tomato and onion sauce; bean stew with razor shells; and the distinctive clams with maize flour, known as "xerém".
Santa Luzia is renowned for its octopus risotto.
Equally highly reputed is the mountain recipe for baked lamb, seasoned with fragrant bay leaves. The range of sweets on offer is vast, from the Tavira "colchão", which is flavoured with almonds, to "Dons Rodrigos" "carriços" and meringues, all baked to traditional recipes. The red wines of Tavira taste of the hot sun that ripens the grapes and makes them rich in sugar.