The tiled town of Tavira is one of my most favorite memories from my two separate trips to Portugal. The town surprised me in countless ways, and one of the best things about it is the local feel and the quiet charm that we found there. It felt very calm and romantic, and kind of hard to describe. It didn’t feel very touristy in the best way, and seemed more like a local vacation destination. Tavira is an easy drive from Lisbon, at just under 3 hours. It is also very close to many of the picturesque southern beaches of Portugal. I have a blog post about a great Portugal road trip itinerary here.
The village of Tavira technically doesn’t have a beach, although they have easy access to a very beautiful one that is well worth a visit. You can’t actually walk there from the town, instead you have to take a ferry. The beach is called Praia de Tavira, and it is a truly gorgeous beach. The ferry runs regularly, but people do queue up at popular times. The ride costs something like 2 euro per person for a round trip. The ride is quick and scenic, and upon arrival, you walk down a little sand path to get to the beach, which is a beautifully large and clean sand beach. It has all of the expected amenities of a popular tourist beach: cabanas, chairs, beds, and places to just lay down a towel or blanket. There is also a full strip of restaurants, bars, cafes, and snacks along a little walkway.
Tavira is within walking distance of the village of Santa Luzia, which is a HUGE plus! It is about a 45-minute walk, which takes you by salt flats and farms. When you arrive in Santa Luzia, you’ll see fishing boats painted in beautiful colors everywhere, and the trees lining the water make for a very charming scene. The locals call this place “the octopus capital”, and we certainly agree! The shores of this area are filled with tiny shrimp that attract the octopus and also contribute to their taste. We ate at “Casa Do Polvo”, and it was hands down one of the best meals we’ve ever had. We emailed a few weeks in advance to set up the reservation and to make sure we could sit on the terrace. We have had “hit or miss” experiences over the years with restaurants that receive Michelin recognition, but this place was exceptional! We loved the terrace and that the restaurant had its own house wine. Even the bottle itself was beautiful and added to the amazing attention to detail throughout the establishment. We tried octopus croquettes, breaded octopus bites, and two different full octopus entrees. We absolutely loved everything we tried and seriously considered booking again for the following night. This is a restaurant and meal you definitely should not miss if you are anywhere near Santa Luzia during your time in Portugal.
Portugal does some excellent tapas. We love this style of eating because it allows us to try so many different local cuisines. There are quite a few tapas spots in Tavira, and we’d highly recommend trying them out. We had some great tapas outside on the main square while enjoying some live music and a lively crowd. The great thing about Tavira, is that you could most likely eat anywhere and have a great meal. This town isn’t a tourist trap, so it doesn’t have some of the usual places you’d avoid in a major city, like Rome or London.
Portugal is known for their tiles, and the tile of Tavira is beautifully artistic and incredible. Many of the facades of the gorgeous houses in town are designed with tile. My favorite thing was to go on a run each morning and hunt for gorgeous tiled houses to stare at and photograph. Between all of the beautiful florals and tiled homes, there is so much allure and beauty in Tavira.
We stayed at “Al-Gharb Eco Guesthouse”, and when we first walked up it was very unassuming and almost looked like a hostel. We weren’t sure what to expect, but it was a nice and easy spot to be based out of. We were comfortable with the accommodations and enjoyed the rooftop for a drink. Looking back now, I should have looked to see if there were any cute Airbnb’s in town, it would be fun to stay in a tiled house or apartment in the village.
Our guesthouse was perfectly located near “Veneza Caffe”, which we stopped at frequently. It was a perfect place to grab an espresso and a pastry during the day, and the perfect place for an evening gelato. There is a pretty little square type area right outside, and we enjoyed having our treats while watching families hang out in the square during the beautiful evenings.
Tavira also has a partially destroyed castle that is really neat to walk around and explore. We took a stroll up to check it out, and there are beautiful gardens filling in the spaces where the castle once stood, and a really pretty church right next door. You can still climb some of the towers and get a nice view out over the village. It is worth taking a walk around to immerse yourself in some of the local history.
Upon writing this and reliving our time there, I think I have officially convinced myself that we’ll return to Tavira someday, hopefully sooner than later!
Plan for me dani 