| TAVIRA - PORTUGAL
Tavira along with Lagos is one of the most
architecturally attractive towns in the Algarve and its origin dates back to
around 2.000 BC. During the occupation of the Algarve by the Moors this town
was considered of great importance due to its fishing industry. Dom Paio
Peres Correia took it from the Moors in anger in 1242 after seven of his
principal Knights were killed during a period of truce. In the 17th Century
the port in its river was of considerable importance, shipping produce such
as salt, dried fish and wine. Like most of the Algarve its buildings were
all virtually destroyed by the earthquake of 1755.
The town has
since been rebuilt with many fine 18th Century buildings along with its 37
churches. A Roman bridge links the two parts of the town across the River
Gilão. The church of Santa Maria do Castelo is built on the site of a
Moorish Mosque and in it are the tombs of Dom Paio Peres Correia and his
seven Knights. Its original economic reliance on the fishing industry has
now been surpassed due to the change in the migration patterns of the tuna
fish. The population is in the region of 20,000 inhabitants supporting a
military base whilst the surrounding area is still very rural and
undeveloped. This is now changing due to the demands of the tourist industry
and opening of golf courses in the near vicinity. The beach for this town
lies past the salt pans and is reached by a ferryboat that takes the visitor
to the sandy-bar island known as Ilha de Tavira.
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