Tavira and around

Tavira, situated ~30km/20mi east of Faro, is one of the most beautiful towns in the Algarve and a clear winner if you are looking to base your vacation in the Eastern Algarve.  The town straddles the broad Rio Gilão, a tidal estuary which is overlooked by balconied houses and traversed by two low bridges, one of Roman origin.   Despite ever increasing visitor numbers and ongoing tourist development, Tavira still makes a living as a fishing port, an industry attested to by the many fine seafood restaurants along the palm-lined river.

For the sun-worshipper, the superb white beaches of Ilha da Tavira, reachable year-round by ferry or water-taxi, offer the ultimate in just lounging around.  Click here for Tavira's average climate from April through October. The sleepy neighbouring village of Santa Luzia offers more excellent seafood while the magnificent Barril beach at western end of Ilha da Tavira, reached by a rickety old train beloved of young and old alike, is opposite the holiday village of Pedras del Rei – and if you venture a little west of the busy tourist area at the island “train station” you will come to one of the Algarve’s most beautiful nudist beaches.  Beside the “train station”, you have the remarkable “anchor graveyard”, a relic of the days when Barril was a major centre of the now defunct tuna industry.  Much of the coastal area around Tavira has been turned into a nature reserve, the Ria Formosa Nature Park, where you can go bird-watching or sunbathing – or just plain wander in a charming, relaxed, rustic environment; more info, http://www.eastoffaro.com/guidebook.htm). Additionally, check out the following links for further information and pictures of Tavira and the surrounding area:

 http://www.portugalvirtual.pt/_tourism/algarve/tavira/index.html    http://www.cdepa.pt/camera/en_main.html      http://www.portugalvirtual.pt/_tourism/algarve/faro/index.html

Going east toward the Spanish border (~20km/15mi from Tavira with no passport formalities), you come to several more excellent beaches; Manta Rota, Monte Gordo, Cacelha Velha, Fabrica are well worth a stop en route.  The Ria Guadiana forms the border between Spain and Portugal.  The river town of Villa Real do Santo Antonio is renowned for its many shops offering a fantastic variety of house wares.  The scenic route following the river north takes you to the fortified towns of Castro Marim, Alcoutim, Mertola, etc.  For the more adventurous, the sophisticated shopping, the bull ring and the equestrian activities of Seville are perhaps an hour and a half’s drive from Tavira on the excellent, recently completed motorway.

Five or six golf courses lie within a 10 to 20 minute drive of Tavira – including Quinta da Cima, rated as the best course in Portugal in 2004 by the authoritative “PEUGEOT Guide”.   Within an hour you can reach almost all of the well known Algarve courses – plus Islantilla and Isla da Canela just over the border in Spain.  Click on “Golf Breaks” above to see links to many of the courses and what may be available in the way of concessionary green fees, etc.

Tavira Garden is located on the N125 main road which connects Faro to Villa Real and the Spanish border.  It is close to the town centre and is easy to find.  It is well known to the taxi drivers at Faro airport – a taxi ride takes ~30 minutes and costs ~€40/£30 (maybe a little less, maybe a little more – it depends on time of day, Nº of passengers, bags, public holiday, traffic, etc).  Tavira Garden is easy to find from the motorway exit for those who rent a car at either Faro airport or Seville airport – or brave the long drive from UK, France, Benelux, etc! For competitive car rental at Lisbon, Faro, Seville, Tavira, etc, click on the following link: http://www.cartrawler.com/affiliates/afullrequest.asp?client=60938.

For airport transfers to hotels, villas and resorts throughout Europe, please take a look at http://www.ecomparison.co.uk/resorthoppa/.

Check out www.dreamHolidayRental.com,  www.portsidepromotions.com   ,  www.VacationsFRBO.com, www.farienhausmeite.de  and http://www.pension-ferienwohnungen.de/ for property rentals around the world.