Plan To Visit Charming Tavira In The Algarve
We were happy we planned a day trip to visit charming Tavira in the Algarve. We had the best lunch to start our visit. And then wandered around the cobblestone streets. We went up the hills and explored the Igreja de Santiago church and the Tavira Castle. And from that vantage point got a great panoramic view of the area.
Heading To A Mesa In Tavira For Lunch
We loved when we travelled in Portugal and got personal recommendations for new places eat. When we stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Penha Longa Resort in Sintra, we left with great ideas from Chef Francisco Siopa for places to eat on our future stops in Portugal. In the Algarve, we were told to visit the Al Mesa Restaurant in Tavira. Later we learned that this restaurant was even in the Michelin Guide.
The restaurant was located in the heart of Tavira near the Jardin da Alagoa. After we found street parking, we wandered past the garden and the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Ajuda ou de Sao Paulo Eremita church.
It was a lovely day so we found a table on the patio and settled in. When we looked in and saw through the clear floor the large basement wine cellar we knew there was lots of choice for good wines. And the menu looked like a Michelin-class treat.
We got our first treat when the fresh bread came with not only local olive oil but spreads in colourful and tasty shapes. We had two different soups for lunch and both were visual treats and delicious. For our main dish we selected a local a seafood cataplana. The lemon desert with the side of meringue was light and so lovely.
When we left the restaurant sated, we were glad for the restaurant recommendation. The food alone was a great reason to visit visit charming Tavira in the Algarve.
Wandering In The Charming Tavira in the Algarve
From the restaurant we headed out and explored this new small town in the Algarve. We saw buildings covered in the colourful Portuguese tiles we always admired.
When we hit the Gilão River we saw the small tourist train. But we decided we needed to walk off our lunch. As we wandered over the Ponte Romana pedestrian bridge we looked up and down the river. High above the town we saw where we were headed.
On the other side of the bridge we found the large open Praça da República square. Small cobblestone streets led off the square and up the hill. After a brief stop we headed up.
The charming Tavira in the Algarve kept drawing us forward.
Heading For The Igreja de Santiago
We saw the steeple and church bells of the Igreja de Santiago church when we crossed the bridge. We moved steadily up and caught more glimpses of the church above the buildings. This medieval church was built in the 13th century but the outside was repaired after the major earthquake in Portugal in the 18th century.
We wandered around the outside of the church. In the back we found a lovely small garden. Off in the distance we saw what looked like more ruins but we did not have time to explore. The inside of the church was not open on this visit so we missed the beautiful interior.
On one side of the church we found the Camera Obscura. Up the stairs and inside a converted water tower, a live image of the town was projected onto a table in a dark room. This was done using mirrors set up at the current angles.
The Igreja de Santiago church was certainly worth a climb in charming Tavira in the Algarve.
Views From The Tavira Castle
Right beside the Igreja de Santiago we found the Tavira Castle. The castle was the highest point in this region of the Algarve and this fortress once protected the town from North African raiders and pirates.
While parts of the castle were ruined in the big earthquake, we entered and found the high walls on all sides of the lovely gardens. Stairs led up the walkway around the walls.
The castle towers also had stairs and we headed high for panoramic views. We saw the town of Tavira and far off we even saw the Rio Formosa park area we visited on a day trip to nearby Loulé.
When we exited the castle we wandered back down the cobblestone streets. And were drawn in when we saw more ruins being restored. We were sure there was lots of history to discover in charming Tavira in the Algarve.
A Great Day Visiting Charming Tavira In The Algarve
We found lots to see and do wandering in charming Tavira in the Algarve. It was another of the lovely small towns in the Algarve we discovered. Great food, beautiful churches, old castles and panoramic views all made Tavira a great day trip on our stay in the Algarve.
Did you visit charming Tavira in the Algarve? Did you have a favourite site?
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Tavira really looks charming and it has plenty to see too. Your food looks incredible and I agree it does look Michelin style! I haven’t yet been to the Algarve in Portugal but would love to visit one day. Tavira Castle looks in pretty good condition, I was impressed to see it even after the big earthquake.
We were glad we go to see so much of Tavira when we visited. And we were definitely well fed.
Tavira looks like a magical place to visit on the Algarve. And the food looks pretty good too!
We loved our day trip to Tavira and were happy with the lunch recommendation.
I’m planning my first trip to Portugal for this summer! Now I’m going to see if I can squeeze in at least one day in Tavira!
I hope you do get to visit Tavira. A charming small town in the Algarve.
Tavira looks like a charming place to add to my Portugal bucket list. I didn’t know about this place before, so thank you for sharing all your recommendations. The food looks amazing!
We love finding new spots when we visit the Algarve in Portugal. Tavira was a great recommendation we got from a friend.
We are hoping to do Portugal in 2024! Definitely looking into Tavira now.
So many great small towns to visit in the Algarve in Portugal. Glad to introduce you to Tavira.
I haven’t heard of Tavira before, but it certainly looks beautiful. There are so many small towns in Portugal that are still quite hidden gems. Your posts on Portugal really make me longing for another trip – it’s such a beautiful country with so much to explore – far beyond Lisbon.
The food, by the way, looks absolutely amazing! You can actually see the high quality in your pictures.
Portugal is one of our favourite countries to visit. And we love to find the small town gems. We were so happy with this recommendation for our lunch in Tavira.
We have timeshare in the Algarve and have been wondering about will it be worth going there. We thought it was just beaches. Well, Tavira is a culinary and historical addition!
There is a great beach area in Tavira that we visited on another trip. But the town was a lovely gem to wander.
I’ve got Portugal on my list. Adding this day trip to visit charming Tavira in the Algarve. Would love to wander through cobblestone streets and visit the church and castle.
There were so many great small towns to wander around in the Algarve. Would definitely recommend a trip to Tavira.
What an amazing trip! Tavira looks beautiful with its cobblestone streets, castles, and stunning architecture. I’d definitely pay it a visit, and the food looks great as well.
We were glad we planned our visit to Tavira and found so much to see and do.
I didn’t know much about Tavira before reading this but now I definitely want to visit! It all looks amazing but the views from the castle are breathtaking!
We were amazed at how many places we found to visit in Tavira. A lovely small town in the Algarve.
I am planning for Portugal and Spain next year , and I would definately add Tavira for 2 to3 days. This little town has so much to see and do. I would like to ride the small tourist train at Gilão River side and enjoy the views. Being a history lover I would love to explore Tavira Castle for a little longer time to check the earthquake area and the garden . The picture of the food looked excellent and I must try all the dishes especially local seafood cataplana. Thanks for the post
If you plan a longer visit to Tavira, make sure to see the town and explore the area down by the sea too. A lovely spot to explore in the Algarve in Portugal.
Loved Tavira. One of my favourite towns in Portugal. Had even considered moving there at one point 🙂
I can certainly see why you might consider moving to Tavira. It would be on our short list too!
It is indeed a very charming town that is best explored by foot. Pra̤a da Rep̼blica square in particular proves that with its lovely cobblestone setting. I would love to explore the Tavira Castle Рnot just for its views but the little stories hidden in the ruins. I am all game for a good day trip here.
We were so glad we got to visit Tavira on our travels in the Algarve in Portugal. So many surprises as we wandered.
Last time we visited Portugal, to the Alentejo, we thought about heading to Algarve for a future trip. Tavira looks like our kind of place, particularly the cobbled streets with pretty tiles buildings and the historical castle and church. Loving that clear floor to the wine cellar at the restaurant you visited too!
Hope you do get back to Portugal to visit the Algarve. I can understand not wanting to leave the Alentejo region.
Tavira looks like a must in the Algarve. Hopefully I can make it happen on our next trip!
Tavira was indeed a very typical small town in the hills in the Algarve.
Tavira’s exploration appears to be fascinating and enjoyable! I’ve never seen a wine cellar in the basement beneath a transparent floor, and it certainly looks unusual. The Praça da Republica square appears a fantastic place to explore. Despite having some parts destroyed, the Tavira Castle nevertheless has a beautiful appearance. The structures adorned with vibrant Portuguese tiles are another thing I find impressive!
We were amazed at how much we found to see and do in Tavira on our visit.
Wow this place looks absolutely stunning! I actually have not heard of it so thank you for such a thorough post. I really love visiting castles so definitely going on the travel bucket list. And that wine cellar 😉
We were glad we got to visit the Tavira Castle and check out the views of Tavira from above. Sent us off exploring more.
I love to know about the smaller towns that are hidden gems in reality and Tavira fits the bill. The Tavira castle and the Igreja looks like a place where I can take very nice pictures. The icing on top is the Michelin star restaurant for special evening dinner! Thanks for the introduction to Tavira.
Our lunch was a real treat and fueled us to keep exploring more of charming Tavira.
The inner foodie in me has to try the Al Mesa Restaurant! Everything that you had looks amazing. Putting this destination on my bucket list!
We were so glad we got our chef friend’s recommendation to eat at Al Mesa. The food and atmosphere were perfect to start our visit to Tavira.
Tavira looks like a wonderful town to explore by foot. I would have skipped the train as well, in favour for walking, after such a delicious meal. Need to burn those calories. Al Mesa looks like such an incredible restaurant, I would be very intrigued by that underground wine cellar that you can see through the floor. I wouldn’t miss Tavira Castle either. I love spending time around gardens and the views from the top of the walls are definitely worth it.
We were happy we had such a great meal to start our wandering by foot in Tavira.
This trips sounds fantastic. I agree with you that great food, beautiful churches, old castles and magnificent views makes it worth it.
By the way, I am super intrigued with the spreads served with your fresh bread in Tavira. Is the carrot one — carrot flavor? I think it’s really cute. 🙂
The bread spreads at A Mesa were very intriguing and so tasty. We do love local olive oil and spreads with homemade bread.
Tavira looks like yet another magical medieval town to wander through. The old churches and streets look so inviting. I love the whitewashed buildings too. Have you ever ridden on one of those tourist trains? We saw them in Paris and in Nice; I thought it was just a French thing. The bread displays are making me hungry!
We decided to pass on the tourist train so we could walk off our good lunch. But we have used similar tourist trains in other towns.
Tavira looks like a place we will enjoy! I love those cobblestone streets, the history, castle and church. That food display looks inviting! It is nice to wander the streets of a town without any particular plans, right? The Camera Obscura seems to be there in a lot of places in Spain and Portugal. Great idea to get a feel of the whole place. I have not been to Portugal yet, but Tavira will sure be in my bucket list.
Tavira would be a great spot to visit if you get to the Algarve in Portugal. A lovely small town with lots to see.
The food at the Al Mesa restaurant looks so pretty and tasty – I can imagine that eating there was worth the trip. While Tavira looks nice, but like a typical Algarve town – the camera obscura intrigued me. I guess taking pictures inside was not possible. I made a note about the camera obscura – just in case we get a chance to visit.
We sadly ran out of time to go into the camera obscura. A fun addition to all the sights we found in charming Tavira.