DESTINATION

Tavira/Algarve

Wherever you look, the colours of the mountains, sea and sky are always with you.

With a Mediterranean climate, Tavira is the best kept hidden secret of the Eastern Algarve. This ancient fishing town has not moved far in time. A stroll through the narrow streets of Tavira will take you back in time through alleys and steps to discover the “sloow” pace of life on this historical city.

For those interested in history and culture Tavira has many churches, museums and cultural activities such as concerts and exhibitions. You will discover the enchantment of the landscape, the aromas and flavours of the traditional Algarve.

As you travel across places of great ecological interest, rich in biodiversity, you will feel as though you are passing through an area full of different traditions, unchanged for many centuries.

All this makes Tavira a very special destination.

Ria Formosa Natural Park

Ria Formosa Natural Park stretches along about half of the eastern Algarve coast line - 60 km in total - from Faro to Manta Rota and covers an area of over 18,000 hectares (44,000 acres).

The outer boundary is formed by a line of sand dunes, islands and peninsulas, which host the fabulous long golden sand beaches of the Park . These barrier islands protect a huge tidal lagoon, which is at its widest between Faro and Olhão and tapers to an end at Manta Rota.

The lagoon is a system of salt marshes, tidal flats, islets and channels, which is home both to a great diversity of fauna and flora, and also to the important local industries of fishing, shellfish and fish farming, and salt production. It is cited in the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance.

The Ria Formosa Natural Park is of particular importance to bird life: as a breeding ground for many species, as a wintering ground for many birds from northern Europe, as a resting and feeding station for birds migrating between Africa and Europe, and as a habitat for several species threatened elsewhere in Europe. The park is also important for its rich salt-resistant flora and as a breeding ground and nursery for many marine species.