Ola Portugal

Riverbend

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/03/2024 (629 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Olá, bom dia. My husband Jeff and I are spending a few weeks in Tavira, a small town on Portugal’s Algarve coast.

After a tiring two days of travel by plane, trains, and automobiles, we arrived at our destination. We are staying in a cosy Airbnb apartment located near the centre of town. Our apartment is on the third floor, so we get our daily exercise climbing stairs several times a day.

We are relying on public transportation here… trains, buses, and Uber. I am certain that we also walk 10 kilometres a day.

I now understand the Mediterranean lifestyle and why it is so healthy.

The local market is a 10-minute walk from our apartment. It sells fresh fruits and vegetables, olives, herbs, nuts, dried fruit, honey, fresh fish, seafood, and meat. The oranges and lemons are picked fresh from the trees and are divine. It is possible to eat very well here.

The weather is mild, about 18 C during the day at this time of year, which makes it very pleasant to walk outside.

Tavira is located on the Gilao River. This river reaches the sea through the lagoons of the Rio Formosa Nature Park.

One of the major attractions of the area is Ihla de Tavira. We can catch a ferry which takes us to this island. A round trip ferry ride costs less than $4 and takes about 15 minutes to reach the island. Along the way, you can see flamingos and other wading birds in the salt flats.

Tavira Island has 11 kilometres of beach. The beach is sandy, with no rocks or pebbles, and the water is very clean. There are sandbars, and it is possible to wade in the water this time of year.

One of my favourite activities in the world is beachcombing, so I am in shell heaven here as there are piles of shells along the beach.

The town of Tavira is very walkable and much quieter than many other towns in the Algarve region.

In the centre of town is the medieval Tavira Castle. The gardens are beautiful, as is the view. Beside the castle is the Convento de Tavira, which dates from the 16th century. My husband and I can spend entire afternoons wandering through the narrow streets and over the Roman bridge. There are so many little cafés and restaurants where we can stop, sit outside to enjoy a beverage or coffee, and watch people go by. Jeff even found the Black Anchor, a popular Irish pub.

There are also cultural events in town. We recently attended a small evening concert in a church. The quintet played a variety of music. The acoustics were wonderful and the setting magical… an evening’s entertainment for only eight Euros.

We have met and chatted with many people during our daily adventures… people from the U.K., the Netherlands, even some Winnipeggers from Saint Boniface.

In the coming week, we will take the train to Olhão and then a ferry to Armona Island. Here there are beach houses and cafe bars. The main beach is pristine and uncrowded. We will also travel to Monte Gordo, where we hope to rent bikes for the day.

Portugal is a wonderful country to visit. In a few weeks we will travel to Seville, Valencia and Barcelona in Spain… but that is another adventure and perhaps another article. Tchau.