Balsa Bridge Building

Tavira is one of the cities most elegant and beautiful of the Algarve with its origins dating back to the late Bronze Age from 1.000 to 800 BC. If you are interested in history, you will enjoy a walking tour of the city as there is much to explore.

In the 7th century BC, the inhabitants of this region were the legendary Tartessos, perhaps of Celtic origin.

In the 8th century BC, it became one of the first Phoenician settlements in the Iberian Phoenicians West.The created by colonial urban center with massive walls at least two temples and two harbours.At the late 6th century BC it was destroyed by conflict.

During the time of Caesar the Romans created a new port about 7 km from the town of Tavira named Balsa. As Balsa grown in size Tavira became a place of transition from high school on the road between Balsa and Baesuris (daily attendance Castro Marim)

Moorish occupation of Tavira between the 8th and 13th centuries has left mark on agriculture, architecture and culture of the region. This influence is still visible today in Tavira with its whitewashed buildings, Moorish style doors and rooftops. The Moors built a castle, two mosques and a palace. After a recent archeological study, it appears that the impressive seven arched "Roman bridge" comes from a 12th century Moorish Tavira bridge.During this time has established itself as an important port for fishermen and sailors.

In 1242, Dom Peres Correia Tavira return of the Moors in a bloody conflict in which the city population has been decimated. Christians are now in control of the city and even though most Muslims left the town some remained in a Moorish quarter called Mouraria.

By the 17th century, the port has been of considerable importance, the shipment of products such as salt, dried fish and wine. The earthquake of 1755 which reached a magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale caused widespread damage in Tavira and throughout the Algarve with shock waves and tsunamis. The earthquake is called the Lisbon earthquake because of the terrible effect it had on the city, though the epicenter was some 200kms west-southwest of Cape St. Vincent Algarve.

Today Tavira

The city has been rebuilt with many fine 18th century buildings and 37 churches. It is a fascinating place to explore with its narrow winding cobbled streets and pastel colored houses with tile roofs along the river distinctive Gilao.The Castle walls border the medieval center of the city with a quiet garden.If you have lucky to be here in spring you can see the jacaranda trees in bloom.Climb up walls and Tavira is spread out beneath you, a rich mosaic tile roofs that extends far Mosiac Saltmarsh before reach the ocean blue of the Atlantic.

You can make your choice to visit some historic churches are open to the public every day while others are in agreement. Next to the castle, the church of Santa Maria do Castelo, where you can see the tombs of Dom Paio Correla Peres and his seven knights who were murdered by Moors.You can climb the bell tower and there is a beautiful city view and river.

Tavira economic dependence on the fishing industry has declined due to the change in the pattern of migration of tuna. Tourism is developing with the creation of new golf courses to attract more visitors, but he has survived the surge of development of other regions of the Algarve and has retained its traditional charm Portuguese.