The Algarve has been inhabited
since ~4,000BC. Tavira, founded ~400BC, was an important centre for North
African trade until the great earthquake of 1755 which devastated the entire
Portuguese Atlantic coast and much of Tavira itself (relax, these earthquakes
normally occur only once every 500 years or so – you have time!). The graceful
mansions and townhouses (many with fine stone doorways emblazoned with armorial
crests) which line the narrow streets of the old town date from the rebuilding
after the earthquake. There are also many fine surviving examples of Roman,
Moorish and Crusader architecture.
The Tavira Town Council (the Camara)
makes great efforts to welcome tourists. Street theatre and concerts, fairs,
exhibitions, a film festival, etc are regular events and many areas are
pedestrianised. An abundance of street cafes and inexpensive restaurants
facilitates wining and dining. The fascinating streetscapes and cobbled streets
of the old town tempt you to spend many happy hours sightseeing. The absence of
disco bars and lager louts makes family parties feel at home (but there is a
lively disco for those who believe the night is still young at 4am!). And the
relatively widespread understanding of English and French in Tavira makes life
easy for the monoglot. While the camara has promoted the development of holiday
apartment complexes in the suburbs, it has been very careful to preserve the
authenticity of the old town which remains charming and unspoiled with
Tavira is well served with rail and
bus links. A commuter train connects to all of the coastal towns and local
buses connect to the towns of the interior; express buses ply to Lisbon,
Seville, etc. However, its many pedestrianised and one-way streets are designed
to deter the motorist – as a result, several bike rental shops thrive. Bikes
are an excellent means of exploring the neighbouring beaches or the Ria Formosa
Nature Park. For
competitive car rental at Lisbon, Faro, Seville, Tavira, etc, click on the
following link:
http://www.cartrawler.com/affiliates/afullrequest.asp?client=60938.
From the arcaded Praça da República
by the Roman bridge (still in everyday use 2000 years on), you climb Rua da
Galeria to the Igrejia da Misericórdia in the heart of the old town. Dating
from 1541, this has a fine stone doorway decorated with lute-playing figures who
serenade mermaids, angels and saints; inside, below a vaulted wooden ceiling,
you find striking “azulejo” (blue ceramic tile) scenes from the Life of
Christ. Two hundred meters further along is the old Castelo, a fort which
changed hands several times between the Moors and the Christians 800 to 1000
years ago. Next to the Castelo is the old whitewashed church of Santa Maria.
Built on the site of an old mosque, this contains the tomb of Dom Paio Peres
Correia who finally drove the Moors from the Algarve in 1242. In the “new”
town, the tranquil palm gardens offer an opportunity to relax in the shade.
Next to the gardens is the old market, now a bustling cultural and crafts
centre; opposite is an array of fish restaurants and souvenir shops. Continuing
along the river, the traditional fishing boats line the tidal river-bed as you
near the modern market – this is no architectural masterpiece but it offers a
golden opportunity to view the astonishing variety of Atlantic and Mediterranean
fish, fruit and vegetables available in the Algarve.
