The pretty little town of Tavira lies just 30 kilometres east of Faro at the mouth of the River Gilao, and was for centuries a thriving fishing port. The red brick buildings of its former tuna factories are now protected as picturesque relics of the past, their tall chimneys topped with the nests of the white storks which are residents of the Algarve. The town, which dates from Roman times and was an important trading centre also under the Moors, was badly damaged by the great earthquake and tidal wave of 1755 which devastated Lisbon. It was largely rebuilt in the late 18th century, and many of the charming tiled houses on either side of the river date from this period. Older buildings, including several fine churches and a ruined castle dating back to the 13th century with wonderful views down over the town, survive on the higher ground.

Although in recent years Tavira has been growing in popularity as a centre for tourism which offers a gentle and peaceful alternative to the more frenetic Western Algarve, it has none of the unattractive infrastructure that often constitutes a "resort." Visitors are unobtrusively absorbed amongst the local inhabitants enjoying the town's riverside restaurants, shady squares and bustling shopping streets. Tavira is a fine centre for all kinds of goods and services; it has several supermarkets (including Lidl and Aldi), a wonderful municipal market selling fresh local produce, bank, a post office, a bus station, a railway station, Internet cafés and countless small shops selling everything from mobile phones to local pottery. There is a well-supplied “Mini-Preco” supermarket, open seven days a week until 9pm, adjacent to Tavira Garden

The coastline to either side of the Gilao estuary is protected from the Atlantic by lagoons and nearby low-lying islands. Tavira's wide golden beaches lie on the seaward side of these islands, about 1 kilometre from the town centre, and are reached by a little train from the centre of town which bumps over the cobbled streets and out to a landing-stage, where a ferry takes visitors over the lagoon to the beaches. There are plentiful restaurants and other facilities, both at the embarkation point and adjacent to the beaches. There are lifeguards on duty in the high season, and chairs and unbrellas available for hire.The ferry can also be reached on foot by the energetic, or by car or taxi.