Discover the Eastern Algarve in Portugal
by: villasluz5
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Word Count: 1631
The Eastern Algarve is bordered by the Atlantic to the south, the N2 Faro-Sao Bras road to the west, the Vascao stream which forms the border with the Alentejo to the north, and the Guadiana river which forms the border between Portugal and Spain to the east. It is a small area, a parallelogram about 45km south to north and west to east. Anywhere can be visited in a day trip from Tavira in the centre of the coast.
The Eastern Algarve has four distinct geophysical zones:
The Guadiana river system marking its eastern flank and the border with Spain
The coastal strip of long sand beaches and the Ria Formosa wetlands
The coastal plain of good agricultural land characterised by citrus orchards - the barrocal
The hills, sparsely populated, which account for most of the land area - the serra
Why go to the Eastern Algarve?
Miles of golden sand beaches - the best in Portugal with the warmest water.
Still un-spoilt by mass tourism.
One of the sunniest places in Europe - over 3000 hours sunshine per year.
Kind, helpful people, no hassle.
Safe - no health or security risks
Pleinty of Sports
When to visit the Eastern Algarve?
The Algarve has one of the mildest and sunniest climates in Europe. That means it makes a welcome break from most of the European countrie at any time of year: winter, spring, summer or autumn.
Winter
The Eastern Algarve doesn't really have a winter, it just goes from a hot dry summer to an extended spring. However, temperatures are lowest and rainfall highest between November and February. But within these months, there are many days of blue skies when daytime temperatures in the sun reach mid to high 20's centigrade and you can quiet easily sunbath. These warm 'winter' days are some of the nicest of the year. However, when the skies are clear, the evenings and the early mornings can be chilly, though it is very rare for temperatures to drop to zero overnight.
Advantages
Cheapest time of the year (excluding Christmas and New year weeks)
Less tourists
A welcome break from northern winter blues
Disadvantages
If you are unlucky, it could rain for a whole week (though temperatures will be mild)
Less entertainment and festivals
Too cold to swim - unless you are brave
What to do
Besttime of year for doing the cultural things
Great for walking, bird watching, golf etc
When the sun is shining, sit in it
Spring
Temperatures rise and rainfall lessens throughout March, April and May. This is the time that the plants go crazy before the summer heat - the wild flowers becoming ever more spectacular throughout these months. In the hills, the streams and rivers are flowing. You can have your first swims of the year in the sea, rivers or pool during these months.
Advantages
Good value-for-money sunshine
Countryside at its most beautiful
Like summer but without the tourists
Disadvantages
Could get a good soaking
What to do
Get into the hills
Enjoy the wild flowers
Do the cultural things (or play golf)
Summer
For four months, between the middle of May and the middle of September, it is very hot and completely dry. All ground cover has burnt away, leaving fields brown. However, many trees - especially alfaroba (carob) and olives - and other drought resistant plants are green all year round, so that even in the middle of summer there is a lot of greenery and some flowers. The citrus and other fruit orchards of the coastal plains are irrigated, ensuring green foliage and ripe fruit throughout the summer. For plants, the summer is like the winter in most of the European Countries - it is the time they die off, drop their leaves, and stop growing.
Advantages
Guaranteed sunshine
Warmest water
Most evening entertainment and festivals
Warm nights
Disadvantages
Can be very hot
Most expensive time of year
Transport, restaurants, beaches, shops - all at their busiest
What to do
Sit on the beach or by the pool
Swim
Stay in the shade
Ddrink plenty of water
What to book
Houses with pools, sea breezes, fans, air-conditioning, sun umbrellas and shaded terraces.
Cars with air-conditioning
Autumn
Sometime after the middle of September, the summer will break and a thunderstorm will usher in the first rains. The extreme heat of summer will be gone and the climate enter one of the most pleasant times of the year. For plants, this is like the start of spring in most of the European countries, the time when they all begin to come to life again. The first rains - which can begin any time from late September to November - turn the hills and fields from brown to green almost over night.
Advantages
Warmest water of the year
Lovely walking weather
Best value-for-money sunshine of the year
Still summer but without the tourists
Disadvantages
Could get a soaking
What to do
Swim in the sea or the rivers
Play golf
Walk in the hills and on the beaches
Go bird watching in the Ria Formosa
Tavira, history and beauty The coast of the council of Tavira is famous for having some of the most beautiful beaches of Algarve and of Portugal, all of them included in the Natural Park of the Formosa river. The beaches of the council are Lacem, Cabanas de Tavira, Ilha de Tavira e Praia do Barril. Lacem and Cabanas de Tavira belong to the island of Cabanas. The beaches of Ilha de Tavira and of Barril are integrated at the island of Tavira.
But the council has also a great historical side.
One of the points with larger tourist interest in Tavira is the Castle of the Moors, besides the Walls, Medieval Bridge and the Palace of the Gallery. The municipal district invite their visitors to visit the House of Irene Rolo, as well as the old Municipal Market, Viewpoint of Alto de Santa Maria, Monument to the Deads of the First World War and the busts of Antonio Cabreira, Isidoro Pires and Augusto da Silva Carvalho.
Other monuments as the Tombstone of Eduardo Pavia of Magalhaes, Statue to Bishop D. Marcelino Franco and Monument of the Antonio Padinha are also a very good place to visit in Tavira.
Tavira has a vast religious patrimony. In the council you can see the Church of Santa Maria of the Castle, Church of Sao Tiago, Church of the Mercy, Convent of Carmo, Church of Nossa Senhora das Ondas, Church of Sao Jose of the Hospital, Church of San Francisco, Church of Sao Paulo, Church of Carmo, Church of Santo Antonio, Church of Santa Ana, Church of Nossa Senhora do Livramento and the old Convent of Bernardas.
The House of the Craft is one of the most original places in Tavira. The space offers live ateliers, with the intention of demonstrating the techniques used in the execution of the manual weaving, the ceramic and the artistic glaze tile, the production in leather, incomes and painting on woven, the work of the wood, the croche by hand, the art of the palm, the traditional bread, the honey, the medicinal and aromatic plants and the full figs. The objective of that House is to publish the artisans' of the council, in an initiative of the Association of Arts and Flavours of Tavira.
The freguesias Cabanas de Tavira, Cachopo, Conceicao, Luz de Tavira, Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo, Santa Luzia, Santa Maria, Santiago e Santo Estevao are part of the municipal district of Tavira.
Cabanas de Tavira and the blue of the sea
Nowadays, the freguesia of Cabanas de Tavira continues to dedicate to the fishing, contributing to the enrichment of the local gastronomy, with products as the tuna, lingueirao, the conquilhas and ameijoas. Strongly linked to the fishing art, the freguesia has an area of 3.480 hectares and a population of 1.106 inhabitants.
However, Cabanas also live of tourism, being one of the freguesias of the council of Tavira that more visitors attract along the year. The importance of the tourism grew starting from 1973, when Cabanas saw to be born its first hotel unit: Aldeamento Pedras da Rainha. The construction of this infrastructure allowed the tourists' arrival to that town, also making possible the creation of a high number of workstations, but it is in the marginal one that we can find one of the most worked points of Cabanas, the beach.
By boat we go through Ria Formosa to the Cabanas-Mar beach. The long sand dune provides beautiful walks and an unbelievable perception of the beauty of the sun.
If you prefer to appreciate more about the town, Ria Formosa is a destiny of natural excellence, accompanied of the crystalline blue of their waters.
The lovers of the golf can relax. In Cabanas de Tavira we have one of the best golf courses of Algarve. The golf course Quinta da Ria is located in a scenery where the green of the fields is mixed with the blue of the sky and of the sea, in a beautiful encounter with the nature.
Nossa Senhora do Mar is the patron of the freguesia. The church is evidence of the people's of Cabanas devotion.
Now if the past attracts your attention, it is also obligatory to walk to the fortress of Sao Joao of Barra that today is private property. The fortress was built in 1556 by Val de Reis count and rebuilt in 1793.
To take advantage of the gastronomy of the area, some clues are to visit the restaurants Principe, Cabanas Park, Ideal and Monteiro, among others of a lot of quality in Cabanas.
Hope to meet you soon in Eastern Algarve!
About the Author
Antonio Oliveira is working as sales director for the real estate agency Villas Luz Lda. His websites http://www.eastalgarve-properties.com and http://www.silver-coast-properties.net provides a lot of useful informations concerning the Algarve and Portugal.
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