Tavira Inn Casa do Rio
This is a small and charming place to stay, offering 5 double rooms,
one double bed, with private WC bath, fully equipped with air conditioning, fridge, hair dryer ,television, tea and
coffee facilities. A jazz bar and a seawater swimming pool on the first floor is my final detail. Our central location
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Tavira is situated at 37°07' north, 7°39' west in the east of the Algarve on the south coast of Portugal. It is 30 km east of Faro where the Algarve's airport is located and 160 km west of Seville in Spain. Tavira lies only 11 miles west of the Spain/Portugal border on the coast where the River Gilão meets the Atlantic Ocean. Along with Lagos, Tavira is considered to be one of the most architecturally attractive towns in the Algarve. The town has since been rebuilt with many fine 18th Century buildings along with its 37 churches. A 'Roman' (actually Moorish) bridge links the two parts of the town across the River Gilão. The church of Santa Maria do Castelo, built on the site of a Moorish mosque holds the tombs of D Paio Peres Correia and his knights. The church dates from the 13th century and the clock tower has been remodeled from the original Muslim minaret. A bust of Dom Paio Perres Correia who died in 1275 can be seen on the corner of the town hall. Its original economic reliance on the fishing industry has now passed due to changed migration patterns of Tuna and further silting up of the river Gilao. The population is in the region of 25,000 inhabitants supporting a military base whilst the surrounding area is still fairly 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 beach for this town lies past the salt pans and is reached by a ferryboat that takes the visitor to the sand-bar island known as Ilha de Tavira, part of the Ria Formosa. The island and beaches can also be reached from the nearby footbridge in Santa
Luzia.
