PORTUGAL TRAVEL - TAVIRA

your source for travel in tavira, portugal
your source for travel in tavira, portugal

portugal info
PORTUGAL info


Portugal > Travel > Algarve > Tavira
Town Related Links

Area Map
Town Forum
---
Airport Transfers
Estate Agents
Golf Courses
Guest & Manor Houses
Holiday Apartments
Holiday Rentals
Holiday Resorts
Hotels
Hotels & Spa
Inns
Night Life
Rent a Car
Restaurants
What to Do

Accommodation

General Index
Guest & Manor Houses
Holiday Apartments
Holiday Rentals
Holiday Resorts
Hotels
Hotels & Spa
Inns
Luxury Hotels
Pousadas

Algarve Towns

Albufeira
Almancil
Alvor
Armação de Pera
Carvoeiro
Faro
Lagoa
Lagos
Loulé
Monchique
Olhão
Portimão
Praia da Luz
Quarteira
Quinta do Lago
Sagres
Silves
Tavira
Vale do Lobo
Vilamoura
Vila Real de Santo António

Index Links

Accommodation
Commerce
Entertainment
Faro Airport Transfers
Property
Sports
Vehicle Hire

Home Link

Portugal - Home

Tavira Accommodation
Tavira Holiday Apartments
Tavira Holiday Rental Agents
Tavira Holiday Resorts
Tavira Hotels
Tavira Hotels & Spa
Tavira Inns

Tavira Entertainment
Night Life · Restaurants · What to Do

Tavira Golf
Benamor Golf Course
Colina Verde Golf Course
Quinta da Ria Golf Course
Quinta de Cima Golf Course

Tavira Property
Estate Agents

Tavira Vehicle Hire
Rent a Car

Tavira Wines
Algarve Wines


Tavira - History
Tavira along with Lagos is one of the most architecturally attractive towns in the Algarve and its origin seems to date back to around 2.000 BC. In about the 7th Century BC the inhabitants of this area prior to the arrival of the Phoenicians were the fabled Tartessus that were possibly of a Celtic origin. The location was of considerable importance during the Roman period and a large area of some 45 hectares to the east of the present position of Tavira is being excavated on which there is evidence of a very large Roman settlement. During the occupation of the Algarve by the Moors this town was given considered importance due to its fishing industry. Dom Paio Peres Correia took the town from the Moors in revenge in 1242 after seven of his principal Knights were killed during a period of supposed truce. During the 17th Century the port in its river was of was shipping produce such as salt, dried fish and wine. Like most of the Algarve towns, mainly all the major buildings including its castle were virtually destroyed by the earthquake of 1755. (Visit - Portugal History)

Tavira - Description
The town has since been rebuilt with many fine 18th Century buildings along with its 37 churches - in fact it is referred to as the town of churches! The town church of Misericórdia dates back to 1541 and Palácio de Galeria is a location of historical interest besides being a cultural centre. A Roman bridge links the two parts of the town across the River Gilão. The church of Santa Maria do Castelo is built on the site of a Mosque and in it are the tombs of Dom Paio Peres Correia and his seven faithful Knights. Its original economic reliance on the fishing industry has now been surpassed due to the change in the migration patterns of the tuna fish. The population are mainly involved in the servicing a military base whilst the surrounding area is still very rural and undeveloped. This is now changing due to the demands of the tourist industry and opening of golf courses in the near vicinity. The immediate beach for this town lies past the salt pans and is reached by a ferryboat that takes the visitor to the long attractive sandy-bar island known as Ilha de Tavira.

Tavira - Nearby Locations
Near to Tavira is the areas Cabanas and Pedras del Rey, both originally very small beachfront villages. Tourism has now become the main source of income for many of the fishermen as there fishing has declined. It is in the latter place that there exists an olive tree that is said to date from the 17th Century and probably the oldest one of its type in Portugal. It stands 7.70 metres high and its girth is 11.80 metres. In the small village of Luz de Tavira there is one of the finest examples of Manueline art and craftsmanship around the southern door of the Parish Church. Santa Luzia is a very small un-spoilt village with a fort and has its name from an Italian effigy of the Virgin Mary that was recovered from a shipwrecked. Near to the Torre de Aves there are the remains of a Roman villa. To the east of Tavira and overlooking the sea can be found the original traditional village of Cacela-a-Velha used by the Phoenicians and later becoming the possession of the Knights of Santiago in 1240.

Tavira Weather (detailed)
Detailed Tavira weather conditions


Tavira Photos
Town and River · Church · Roman Bridge · Street · Landscape

Tavira Events

--

Popular Saints Festivities June
Town Holiday 24th June
Handicraft Festival August
Feira de Boa Morte August 1st
Feira de Santa Luzia August 8th to 11th
Feira Franca Anual (Santo Estavão) September
Feira de Artesanato (Luz de Tavira) September
Festa da N. Sra. da Saúde e São Luís (Santa Maria) September
Festival de Folclore de Tavira September
Feira de São Francisco October 4th to 6th
Market Day 3rd Monday of the month

Tavira Telephone Numbers

--

Town Hall 281 320 500
Fire Brigade 281 322 122
Police 281 322 022
Hospital 281 324 023
Emergency Treatment 281 324 023
Ambulance 281 325 473
Tourist Office 281 322 511
SOS 112
Support to Tourists 800 296 296
Railways (CP) - www.cp.pt 808 208 208

Useful Tavira Facts

--

Postal Code 8800
Inhabitants 14.400

Distances between each Tourist Town in Kms.
Distances in Kms.

(In order to read the above document please download Adobe Acrobat Reader at:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html)

Algarve Towns
Albufeira · Almancil · Alvor · Armação de Pera · Carvoeiro · Faro · Lagoa · Lagos · Loulé · Monchique · Olhão · Portimão · Quarteira · Quinta do Lago · Sagres · Silves · Vale do Lobo · Vilamoura · Vila Real de Santo António


Tavira Town and River

Tavira Church

Tavira Roman Bridge

Tavira Street

Tavira Landscape




PORTUGAL INFO WHO? WHAT? WHERE? & WHEN? IN PORTUGAL