Also worth visiting

OKAY, SO WE HAVE TO INCLUDE THE POPULAR SITES THAT ARE ON EVERY TAVIRA VISITOR’S CHECKLIST. SECRETS THEY ARE NOT, BUT DEFINITELY WORTH SEEING FOR NEWCOMERS.

JO Ã O EDUARDO SPENDS THE DAY ON THE TOWN

Take A Tuk Tuk

This is a great way to see the city and its surroundings, discover where to shop, and eat and take photos. Maria’s Tuk Tuk (should be Tuk Tuks, as there are two!) is part of the furniture of Tavira and the guides who do the driving speak Portuguese, Spanish, English and French. They know the back streets and are hugely enthusiastic, which adds to the enjoyment.

Maria’s Tuk Tuk

T: 968 995 275

E: info@mariastktk.com

W: mariastuktuk.com

Sounds Great

Fado com História is a very special experience. This is not your regular sitdown-and-listen concert, but a performance in every sense of the word. First, there’s a multi-language video presentation that serves as an introduction to Fado; then a live performance with Portuguese guitar, viola and voice – and the voices of the team are wonderful – followed by a taster of local wines and nuts. There are shows in the auditorium, Monday to Friday at 15:15, and on Saturdays in the beautiful Igreja da Misericórdia right next door. Tickets are €10, children under 12 go free.

Fado com História

8800-343 Tavira

T: 966 620 877

E: fadocomhistoria@gmail.com

W: fadocomhistoria.com

See Here

Câmera Obscura – aka the Tavira Eye – is where you’ll take a stunning voyage over Tavira and experience the principles and the laws of optics, which created the basis of photography. The old water tower, built in 1931 to supply water to the whole city, was renovated in 2004 after a public referendum to preserve it, and is where the first Câmera Obscura in the Algarve was installed. Some historians attribute the discovery of optical laws to Mo Tsu, a Chinese thinker, circa 500 B.C.; others see the Greek philosopher Aristotle, 384-322 B.C., as father of the first clear description of the camera obscura. Leonardo da Vinci compared the human eye to the camera obscura. What you’ll see is how the revolving lens projects telescopic images of the town below onto a large concave screen. Fascinating stuff.

The Tavira Eye is open Monday to Friday, 11:00–15:00. Visits are approximately 30 minutes. Adult tickets are €5, children €3.

The Tavira Eye

T: 281 322 527

E: info@cameraobscuratavira.com

W: cameraobscuratavira.com

Sweet Treats

Time for a chocolate break. And there’s nowhere better than the artisan chocolateria iBelle where the menu of bonbons and cakes will have you in taste heaven for their mix of regional ingredients and fine Belgian chocolate. Sit and have a coffee or snack while you make the buying decision – there is so much to choose from. Open Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 19:00.

iBelle

T: 925 463 925

E: ibellechocolateartesanal.eatbu.com

W: ibellechocolates@gmail.com

The Islamic Museum

Part of the impressive Municipal Museum of Tavira, this small Islamic Nucleus houses a vast and impressive collection from the Islamic period. Built on what was one of the few surviving Islamic buildings in the Algarve, it sheds light on the Muslim history of the town, through displays, films and found objects that result from architectural digs in and around the city. One outstanding piece is the Vaso de Tavira, which has clay figures of men on horseback and musicians on its rim. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 09:30 to 16:30 (closed for lunch 13:00 to 14:00. Tickets are €2 for adults, €1 for 8–18 year olds and over 65s; children go free.

The Islamic Museum

T: 281 320 570

E: museum@cm-tavira.pt

W: museumunicipaldetavira-cm-tavira.pt