Tavira in Portugal is a lovely town on the Algarve coast, with beautiful old houses, small shops and outdoor cafes. There are also opportunities for sunbathing and swimming, and of course there are campsites and hotels. Here are five things to see and do in Tavira, Portugal.
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Tavira in Portugal
The Portuguese town of Tavira is located on the eastern Algarve coast in southern Portugal, 25 kilometres from the border with Spain. Traditionally a centre of fishing, fish farming and agriculture, today tourism is also an important source of income. Tavira is a two-tiered town with the River Gilao running straight through the town, which is why it has several bridges. A bit outside the city, there are nice beaches on a beach island that can be reached by ferry.
This charming city is home to many historical sights. There are plenty of churches and 18th century buildings to look at while strolling around the cosy cobbled streets. There are also two top-class golf courses and a national park that includes islands, dunes and waterways. We list five things to see and do in Tavira, Portugal!
What to see and do in Tavira?
- Beaches and natural park. Relax on the beaches of the sandy island of Ilha de Tavira, a short ferry ride from the city centre, or visit the Ria Formosa Natural Park.
- City walk. Explore the remains of the Moorish era including the castle (Castelo de Tavira), the old city walls and the mosques that were converted into churches. Discover all of Tavira's 36 varied churches - ranging from Gothic to Renaissance, and from painted to fully decorated in azulejo tiles.
- Relax and eat. Enjoy relaxed evenings on the town's outdoor terraces, sampling regional cuisine and local wine.
- Activities. Rent a kayak (or join an organised tour) and explore the waterways of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, with its varied bird and animal life, or go kayaking or paddle boarding in the river through the city.
- Excursions. Popular excursions from Tavira include the octopus fishing village Santa Luzia or the historic capital of Faro. We can also recommend the lovely holiday town of Albufeira, where we have spent many weeks. From Vila Real it is also possible to cross the Guadiana river by ferry and visit Spain and the town of Ayamonte.
Getting here
- The railway. Tavira has its own railway station on the line from Vila Real de Santo António to Faro and Lagos. Trains are operated by Comboios de Portugal (CP) and connections are available at Faro station for trains to Lisbon and the rest of Portugal.
- The motorway. The A22 passes close to the city. This offers quick road access along the Algarve coast and eastwards to Seville.
- Flight. The nearest international airports are Faro and Seville.
Police camping
We live with the motorhome at police campingor Parque de Autocaravanismo, as it is actually called. This is a large and slightly anarchic campsite located on a hillside. The campsite has areas of grass, but also paved roads, sometimes on a steep slope. You can stand wherever you want, and the motorhomes are really everywhere.
Parts of the campsite are charmingly green, and it can be really nice to stand here if you find a good spot. If you, like us, end up on a tarmac road, it may not be quite as fun. But regardless, it is an affordable campsite with a good location for walking or cycling to town. We paid 9.90 euros per day (2015) and had access to electricity and other services you need.
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Anna Granström says:
How marvellous! Even though I came back from Egypt last Thursday, I'm feeling all smiles again...
02 February 2015 - 14:44
BP says:
Beautiful! The city is very similar to Faro. I wonder if you will visit this gem. I hope so!
02 February 2015 - 14:46
admin says:
Anna, hope you had a good trip to Egypt! You are well-travelled most of the time!
🙂
BP, really? Well, now we have travelled past Faro. Not so far away here, but it's hard to see everything...
😉
02 February 2015 - 15:42
Åsa says:
Looks nice! Very Portuguese! I wonder if it ends up looking Portuguese on the other side of the Spanish border? Or not? You may report! (;
02 February 2015 - 15:53
Ditte says:
How nice to come along to Tavira, completely new to me. How nice it looks and it feels very Portugal.
Stay well!
02 February 2015 - 15:58
Lots of other stuff and some concrete says:
Glad you finally got the camping licence! What a nice little town with colourful houses.
Here it has been snowing all day...
Take care!
Agneta
02 February 2015 - 16:18
Marie says:
It looks great! It's nice to have some newfound freedom now that the card has arrived, I guess - it will be exciting to come to Italy.
02 February 2015 - 16:35
Annika says:
Looks so nice. AND funny that Italy is next on the list.
02 February 2015 - 16:36
admin says:
Asa, it's nice AND Portuguese. Well, we'll see if we see a difference when we go into Spain!
Ditte, great city!
Agneta, snow sounds cold... hope it's nice and white!
Marie, I'll take you to Italy, but it will take a while, first it will be Spain and France!
Annika, we have planned for Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily. But before we get there it will be the Spanish and French coasts... so it will be a while before we get to Italy...
02 February 2015 - 17:36
Lena in Wales says:
Such colourful houses and so beautiful!
I have just returned home to Wales.
Take care!
02 February 2015 - 18:39
admin says:
Lena in Wales, hope you had a good trip! A bit sad that we didn't get to see each other, but we liked Portugal so much that we stayed here for quite a while...
02 February 2015 - 18:46
Elisabeth says:
Tavira is a cosy little town. We were there a while ago. Now we have followed the border northwards and are spending the night in Mertola. Elisabeth
02 February 2015 - 18:56
Allis & Stellan says:
Looks lovely! Yes, your place may not be the most cosy but hope the sun and warmth come back to you soon! Here it has snowed heavily for a few days (to be the west coast) and there have been some training sessions with shovelling during the weekend :-/ Now a little cold is also waiting apparently but that's how it should be with sports holidays and February here at home 😉
It will be exciting to see where you end up now!
Enjoy!
02 February 2015 - 19:53
Matts Torebring says:
Colourful houses to say the least. Hugs
02 February 2015 - 22:05
Snows says:
It's amazing what you will see and experience during your trip. I have never been to Portugal. Not so far anyway 😉
03 February 2015 - 8:24
Mary's journey says:
Beautiful pictures:)
03 February 2015 - 10:10
Marina says:
It looks very cosy!
03 February 2015 - 11:04
Ama de casa says:
Looks very cosy! Who needs beaches when it's so nice in the city?
🙂
03 February 2015 - 11:22
FANTASYDINING-A blog about themed restaurants and travel says:
Looks very cosy and colourful!
03 February 2015 - 11:52
admin says:
Elisabeth, you are really good at travelling and seeing different places! Fun to follow you on the blog!
Allis & Stellan, we have realised that it is real winter weather in Sweden now! Funny that you follow us on the blog. We will move a little more now for a while, so there will be some new places!
Matts, in Portugal the houses are either white or very colourful it seems!
Znogge, we can highly recommend Portugal! Beautiful nature, friendly people (who quite often speak English) and good prices.
Ama de casa, right now it's not really a good time to lie on a beach either...
😉
03 February 2015 - 12:53
Cat's Considerations says:
How crazy the pictures are!
03 February 2015 - 16:26
Inga M says:
Clearly, lots of readers want to join you on your fantastic journey. I am one of them, congratulations on the record number of visitors, there were many unique visitors in one week. I read your posts again. Looks exciting, giggles a little at your dilemma with the training and the shame factor. I who never exercise, just love to walk have never faced that problem.
The houses in Tavira have very beautiful colours! Then they build a bit festive with zero space between the front door and the street. It looks tricky, but probably you have a garden at the back.
04 February 2015 - 13:35
scottish moments says:
Incredibly nice photos! Looked very professional 🙂 And the subject does not make it worse directly!
Hope you have a great time!
Here we have snow 🙂
04 February 2015 - 18:32
admin says:
Inga M, glad you want to join us on the trip! Yes the houses are close to the road... but not so much traffic it seemed like....
Scottish Moments, thank you very much! I'm glad you like the photos!
🙂
04 February 2015 - 19:42