Description
Tavira, the base for this self-drive road trip, is a peaceful coastal town on the East Algarve.
From here, you’ll discover magnificent coastal sceneries, unexpected inland landscapes and ways of life, and charming historic cities.
Designed by local residents, this tailored tour offers a one-of-a-kind experience of this region’s natural, human, and cultural heritage.
Anchor cemetery in Barril Beach Tavira. This strange arrangement of anchors is in fact a kind of memorial to the lost tuna fishing industry that once thrived here.
The blue waters of the Atlantic, the golden sandy beaches, the Ria Formosa, the exquisite gastronomy, the friendly people, all of these features of the Algarve are widely known.
But there are still secret spots, landscapes to be uncovered, and ways and traditions unknown to many.
Tavira, on the south slopes of the Serra do Caldeirão, is a quaint and picturesque town, surrounded by a landscape dotted with olive, almond, fig, carob, and palm trees.
Shaped by its historical past, Tavira has an attractive riverfront and a tranquil atmosphere. The River Gilão opens up to the Ria Formosa, a system of lagoons of great natural beauty.
This independent tour will give you an insight view of the importance of traditional fishing in the Ria Formosa, and an opportunity to taste sea delicacies prepared with expertise and simplicity.
You won’t forget the fresh oysters, the octopus stews, the razor clams, the tuna dishes, with variations exclusive to this region, where catching and cooking the fruits of the sea is a true art.
Azure lagoons of the Ria Formosa Natural Park. This is a unique coastal lagoon that is constantly changing due to the continuous movement of winds, currents, and tides.
Moving eastwards, you’ll visit Cacela Velha, a charming white and blue coastal village, with the only cliff in the East Algarve, and arguably the most splendid view you’ll see on this tour.
You’ll take a closer look at Vila Real de Santo António, a city founded in 1774, under the Enlightenment principles. It was built as a replica of central Lisbon’s street layout after the 1755 devastating earthquake.
The inland excursions, to the hills above Tavira, will uncover the appeal of sleepy villages like Cachopo, with whitewashed houses with distinctively decorated parapets in the façades. Some hide terraces (açoteias) used to dry figs and other produce, with ancestral conservation techniques. Others are purely decorative and a sign of the house owner’s wealth and prestige.
S. Bras de Alportel, another stop on our itinerary, is famous for cork production, where the tree bark is transformed into a sustainable and ecological product. The quality of the cork from this region is known worldwide with countless uses.
Alcoutim Smuggler Statue, that evokes the collective memory of the history of this land and this river: the fisherman, the tax guard, and the smuggler.
You’ll then follow the verdant hills bordering the Guadiana River to reach Alcoutim. San Lucar del Guadiana is the Spanish town on the opposite bank.
The Castle of Alcoutim was built in the 16th century, and from the gardens, which are perfectly cared for, you’ll have an excellent viewing point. There is a myriad of legends involving the castle, telling of brave knights and beautiful Moorish princesses, frustrated in their love, becoming enchanted.
This is a self-drive tour carefully crafted, where the past merges with the present, making every moment an enduring memory: arrive as a visitor but leave as a local!
