Discover Tavira’s Scenic Beauty, Tavira, Portugal

Around every corner in the pretty historic city of Tavira, there is a lovely surprise waiting to be found. It may be a perfect heritage home with a fabulous chimney or a beautifully decorated church. You may find a pretty scene by the river or flamingos in the colourful salt pans. Built on the hilly banks of the Gilão River, discovering Tavira’s scenic beauty should be at the top of your Portuguese to-do list.

We were lucky to have personal tour guides for our visit to Tavira. Jo from Still Restless Jo and her husband helped to make sure we found all of the little treasures in Tavira’s Old Town.

Not far from Tavira, salt has been mined from the river estuary for centuries. As a result, the city’s history is extensive and that past can easily be found in the city’s centre. Tavira Castle was built by the Moors in the Middle Ages but was likely built on top of fortresses from previous civilizations. In fact, remains of Roman and Phoenician buildings can be seen in small excavation sites around the old town. When Portuguese King Dinis was in power, he remodeled the castle to help better protect the important salt industry from pirates.

Unfortunately, the castle was quite badly damaged in the big earthquake of 1755. Today only parts of the wall and a few towers are all that remain. Those castle walls that still stand have been put to good use though. They create the border of a gorgeous garden filled with flowers and trees. We were there in the fall, so it must be even more lovely in the spring and summer. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).