Tavira Self-Drive Holidays: The East Algarve Culture & Heritage

Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival in Faro

Individual arrival to Faro Airport and rent-a-car vehicle pick up. Drive to Tavira.

Colourful fishing boat in Santa Luzia,  a fishing harbor located near Tavira, Algarve

Day 2 – Fishing Heritage

There is no certain date frame for the establishment of the fishing activity in the Algarve. There were fishing communities already established at the beginning of the 18th century, whose origins trace all the way to the peoples of southern Europe. Its importance is the base of the history, culture, and tradition of the Algarve and the unique places we’ll show you.
We suggest starting the week by driving to Monte Gordo, where tradition is still what it was. It’s visible in the colourful boats lined up on the western side of the immense beach, engulfed by the translucent and warm blue waters. In the 1940s, wealthy Alentejo families began to build houses to spend the “bathing season” here.
Continue to Vila Real de Santo António, on the road that runs alongside the deep green forest of stone pines where the chameleons live. Its imposing lighthouse marks the beginning of the land, where the sea ends.
Separated from Spain by the strikingly beautiful Guadiana River, this modern and yet historical town benefits from a unique Pombaline style design, inspired by the rebuilding of Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake.
Castro Marim, located northwards of VRSA, is a haven of wildlife and has existed for millennia. It was home to a Roman port and the refuge for the knights of the order of Christ. The heritage of Castro Marim is deeply connected to the richness provided by the saltpans, the exquisite gastronomy, and rustic traditional handicrafts.
And because we like to save the best for last, discover Cacela Velha. Take the time and breath in. what you are seeing is probably the most beautiful view of the whole Algarve and no matter how many pictures you take, it won’t compare to what your eyes can see…

Vila Real Historical Centre, designed by the Marquis of Pombal, Classified Heritage Since 2011.

Day 3 – Life in the Hills

Away from the immense blue sea, up in the hills, there are places surrounded by heather, strawberry trees, and cistus, there are fragrances of carob and lavender in the air. The hill’s people have, for decades, resisted the call of the sea.
Here, people wave when they see a stranger. They wear waistcoats and aprons, invite you to eat in their traditional restaurants and point the best the region offers.
From Tavira, drive to Cachopo. In the village, observe the rural houses with their decorated parapets – decorated façades at the top of the houses. This custom of decorating the fronts of houses comes all the way from the 1930s. It reflected the fortunes earned in the spice trade and are still an object of admiration. The bright colours were made from natural pigments and mixed with whitewash. Take the time to explore and discover the local museum that expressively illustrates the identity of the Serra.
As you drive by Barranco do Velho, you’re as high as the hills will bring you. The crossroads here linked the coast and the interior. Here, merchants carried honey, medronho, firewood, and news from the distant villages. All around, there are the roundhouses of Celtic origin, used nowadays as barns. Their thick walls are made from carefully assembled pieces of schist while their roofs are conical and thatched.
Heading south, you reach S. Brás de Alportel, and the unmistakable importance of the town as a centre of the cork-growing area comes across clearly, widely present in the town’s long history and its unique museum.
It’s also visible in Grand houses with iron verandas and façades clad in tiles that alternate with humble houses in the popular style.

Cork in Serra do Caldeirao Algarve, (Caldeirão mountain chain) is an important area for cork oak

Day 4 – Free Day

This is the day to take the time to rest or wander around Tavira and explore the local traditions. There are numerous monuments to discover, whether your preference is related to the historical background of the town or just exquisite architecture.
The lovely beach at Tavira Island and a boat tour or a birdwatching trip in the Ria Formosa are excellent ways to have a relaxing holiday day.

Walking in the East Algarve Coast. Considered the Best Walking Destination in Europe in 2019 by European Best Destinations

Day 5 – Guadiana Valley

Divided by the river but united by culture, the Guadiana valley marks the eastern border of Portugal. The program for today takes you along this great river of the south.
We suggest a magnificent drive northwards, to discover Foz de Odeleite, a tiny village, perched above a ravine near the spot where the river flows into the Guadiana River. This is a natural paradise with houses on the highest slopes of the bank of the Guadiana River, and vegetable plots and vineyards sloping down to the river.
Not far from here, in Guerreiros do Rio (Warriors of the River) you’ll find a small but important museum that tells of the history of the Guadiana River and the fishing activity since the time of the Carthaginians.
After a sharp bend in the road, on a hillside over the river, Alcoutim appears. With its carefully tended 16th century castle observing us from above, you’ll discover some of the secrets about smuggling among the rocky banks of the Guadiana River, which ended up forging close ties with the Andalusian people on the opposite bank.
As you drive south towards Santa Rita, you find yourself driving on one of the most beautiful roads in the Algarve.
This is a transitional area between the coast and the hills where the waters of the watercourses are extremely important, crisscrossing the valley allowing the so needed irrigation. Topped by typical chimneys, the houses exude hospitality and friendliness with their open doors.

Alcoutim and the River Guadiana, which separates Portugal from Spain.

Day 6 – A Day Around Tavira

For its natural characteristics, the area in which the town of Tavira is settled has always aroused the auspicious curiosity of the European people. Phoenicians, Celts, Carthaginians, Romans, and Moors have all found a new home in this area. In secret corners of the town of Tavira, this past heritage is visible. Moorish chimneys, medieval bridges, and archaeological findings are nowadays are a reminder of the fabric that constitutes our past.
From Tavira, continue to Santa Luzia, where the whitewashed houses face the beautiful Ria Formosa. Its placid waters harbor a collection of boats that lay in the sand waiting for their turn to go out into the open waters. In this fishing village that defends fiercely to cook the best octopus dishes in the whole south, time goes by gently, sitting on a bench immersed in tranquil thoughts.
Not far from here, the Barril Beach stands quietly on the Tavira Island that stretches for nearly 11km of uninterrupted and fine golden sands, calm blue waters, and centuries of history, associated with the tuna fishing trade. Its anchor’s graveyard is a picture-perfect postcard in itself.

Stunning view to Ria Formosa Saltpans, tropical marshes, tidal flats, islets, saltpans and stunning freshwater coves.

Day 7 – Escapade to the West Algarve

Today we drive westwards, to uncover the Algarve of the cliffs, rocks and caves, sandy retreats, and hidden gullies.
From Tavira, head to Faro, the capital of the Algarve and a city of ancient origin. The city’s history is written in every monument you discover. The old city walls hide fabulous secrets from churches decorated in blue and white tiles to the stork nests, perfectly balanced over the clock on an arched alley.
On your way westwards, stop at Senhora da Rocha, a chapel with Visigoth capitals at the top of a promontory with fine-looking views. There is nothing more serene than its enormous beach with calm seas and immense blue, lapping repeatedly on the fine golden sand reflecting the sun.
Continuing west, follow the signs and you will easily find your way to Ferragudo, on the left bank of the Arade River. The name explains the origin of the village: on the coast, there was a Ferro Agudo (pointed iron) used for pulling the nets full of fish out of the sea. The bay of Ferragudo ends in a small, gracious castle, nowadays a private house.
When you reach Vila do Bispo, you are entering a different Algarve. The colours change, the scent of the Atlantic minerals start lingering as you breathe, you can feel those winds coming off the Atlantic.
Reach Sagres, near the legendary promontory, the most south-westerly point in Portugal and in Europe. In Cape St. Vincent, the lighthouse stands 60 meters above the sea, where the furious spray of the waves is felt and the cliffs hide tiny, almost empty beaches whose beauty, only our imagination can grasp.

Tavira Island, just a few hundred meters off the coast. It is 11 kilometres long

Day 8 – Individual departure or extra days