Tavira: seaside bliss
Typical southern coastal city
Right by the sea, on the southern side of Portugal, Tavira comes up as a highly recommended place to invest in for vacations. As a southern city by the sea, its wide territory extends itself from the coast to the mountains, offering different kinds of environments.
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A city that lived off the sea
As a seaside city, it attracts an increasing number of people from all over the world. Compared to other seaside cities, Tavira has a pleasant climate and the cost of living around the area is very low. That alone, is one of the main attractions for people investing in real estate.
Historically, Tavira was a commercial port for trade for merchants. It was the main port in the south of Portugal. As a coast side city, its main activities consist of fishing, agriculture, salt extraction and traditional export production (fish, salt, olive oil, wine and more).
Nowadays, fishing and agriculture are still very active around the port and the rural part of Tavira. However, within the city, the main activities are salt extraction, commerce and tourism.
3 in 1: History, culture and leisure
Though nothing like a big city such as Lisbon or Porto, Tavira attracts a lot of tourists, mostly during the summer. Tavira is an authentic catalogue of history, quite rich in cultural heritage and architecture. You can see it in the old buildings, renovated but with original features preserved.
One of the most iconic is Quartel da Atalaia, one of the oldest military barracks in the country with pombaline architecture. Another is Mercado da Ribeira, a simple iron-framed building used as a municipal market at first and now improved into a modern market, joining stores with traditional commerce and restaurants.
Within the cobbled street of Tavira, you can also find other historical elements dating to centuries ago. The Moorish influence on the city is still very alive, through the fortress walls of stone in the oldest part of the city. Meanwhile, following the Gilão river almost to the seashore, you will end up at the oldest bridge of Tavira, a 17th century Roman influence.
And of course, the apex of appreciation for history consists of the typical gastronomy and traditional craftsmanship. The mainstream artisanal crafts are tinware baskets and baskets in cane and wicker, as well as wooden furniture.
A world of salt
Besides the obvious historical monuments and elements, we can argue that there are two more attractions that make people curious about Tavira.
One is the Anchor Graveyard in Praia do Barril, as homage to the tuna fishing industry, which used to be one of the main economic activities of Tavira. Once the flow of tuna around Tavira decreases, with time these anchors become a symbol of the end of a cycle.
Finally but not least important, the salt pans of Tavira. The white landscapes that paint the whole region of Tavira consist of a whole complex of salt pans, where high quality pure sea salt is produced.
There are a lot of pans where the sea water flows through a labyrinth of channels, into tanks, where it rests until the water evaporates under the heat of the sun. From this process emerge small translucent crystals that glow in white, the salt grains.
Given the vast route of salt pans along the Algarve region and Tavira in particular, it became quite the attraction for those not used to seeing such “salty” landscapes.
Tavira: the city meets the island
A beautiful yet simple, Tavira has yet another surprise. At the point where the River Gilão meets the area known as Quatro Águas, you have Tavira island and its breathtaking beaches.
From the city of Tavira, to its namesake island and its beaches, there’s no other way to go there if not by ferry or arranged boat tours. On the stretch of land that separates the river from the sea, Tavira island emerges as 11km of sand. On this island, you can find and delight yourself in Praia de Tavira, Praia do Barril, Praia da Terra Estreita e Praia do Homem Nu.
Although Tavira can count on other beaches in its region, these four are the main ones.
No matter the time of the day…
Tavira is a great place to choose for vacations. Due to its proximity to the sea, tourism has grown a lot around there.
Its impact is felt in the real estate industry, with an increased search for local accommodation during summers. It has impacted the commerce and general economy, since the bigger the number of people coming to the city, the bigger the profit all around.
All in all, it is also a great place to live in. It offers a hot climate and delightful beaches, while maintaining an active cultural lifestyle and agenda. It brings you the wonders of living by the sea and the security of its interior region.
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