Cabanas and Tavira

The beaches throughout the Algarve in southern Portugal are spectacular, regularly rated amongst Europe’s finest. A large part of the eastern coast is made up of islands that form the protected Ria Formosa Park, an important habitat for bird and marine life. A series of beautiful islands, with gorgeous beaches, sit just offshore.....the closest to us is Ilha de Tavira which is reached by ferry and is just a couple of minutes walk from our apartment. During summer the ferry runs every 30 minutes from 8am-8pm at a cost of €2 return. With 11 km of sand to explore, there’s space for everyone.....although at this time of year it sometimes doesn’t feel like it! There’s a campsite with its own shop on the island + a few basic holiday accommodations.....and plenty of restaurants to feed the crowds of people who regularly make the trip over. Sun-beds and sun umbrellas are available for rent, but toilets and showers are scarce - so far we’ve only found them in one location, close to the restaurants, but a bit of a walk from the beach itself.
Despite the crowds we made an initial exploration over to the island to check things out......we’d visited once before, but it was late summer when people were returning to work and the children were getting ready to go back to school. At that time, although temperatures were still hot, the restaurants were virtually empty and only a small section of the beach could be described as busy. Not surprisingly it’s quite different during the earlier part of August! On this very hot afternoon, eateries were full, as were numerous sections of designated “sun-bed rental” areas....and as far as the eye could see the beach was covered with frolicking and sun-worshiping bodies! For a little while we walked and paddled at the waters edge before returning to the ferry-docking area - not attempting at this time to either find a spot to sit or to walk the 11 km length of the beach! Last year we’d found a small park, on a piece of high ground, on the side of the island where the boats pull in - so we returned to this shady spot that overlooks the tidal estuary. It’s an area of pine trees, with a small beach just below and has a few picnic-tables scattered around. Only a few people were on the beach - it was pretty quiet - but these few people had also claimed possession of the picnic tables. We’d come unprepared for a full day at the beach, but we had brought a towel, which we spread out under a large shady tree. Using the tree as a back rest, we enjoyed the peaceful setting while admiring the view across water.. and...not completely unprepared we’d thought to bring along a small cooler with a couple of beers! The ferry ride both ways was busy, but we had no difficulty getting on at either side - the 10-15 minute journey is lovely....well worth it - if only for the scenic ride.
During our many hours spent wandering around Tavira, we’ve discovered “hidden” back streets, that although empty during the day, come alive at night....they’re filled with café and restaurant tables that line the sidewalks and sometimes take over the small street itself - no cars allowed! We sat at a small café one night - our table perched right on the corner of two narrow streets......we had a lovely view across the river, but as both of these streets did allow cars, it’s not a place that we’d return to - sadly because I’d enjoyed a particularly good glass of dry rosé there!
We’ve found a couple of “favourite” places already, and both are, not surprisingly, right on the rivers edge. One is a cheap and cheerful café at the back of the old market, which serves not only drinks, but snacks, crepes and various ice-cream concoctions......their method is - line-up, order at the bar, pay and then find your seat - a system that works really well! Another of our favourites is just beyond the main square, tucked onto a small area of sidewalk that gives views of the river and the Roman Bridge.....it’s a great place at night to watch the flow of the water and the lights across the river, plus enjoy any music that may be coming from the square. One night we listened to the music and singing of Tyrollean dancers - a very odd choice we thought....but they sounded very exuberant and we were far enough away for it to be somewhat muted! There is table service here, and during the day it’s a great place to stop for a cool beer - tapas and small meals are also served - and there’s plenty of shade under the umbrellas. When the tide is out it’s a perfect spot to put our feet up on the river wall and watch the fishermen, who patiently dig amongst the rocks.
We’ve walked up to one of the highest points in town to see the castle, which lies in the town’s historic centre. It’s unknown when the first castle was built - a fortress was already rebuilt on an existing site by the Phoenicians in the 13th century...... but it’s known that the town did have a castle when it was conquered by the Moors in 1239. To defend Tavira against attacks from pirates, King D. Dinis ordered the castle to be remodelled and reconstructed in 1293......both the town and the castle were destroyed during the great earthquake in 1755.
Two squares, one octagonal tower and three of the side walls are all that now remain of Castelo de Tavira. Most of the walls and towers can be climbed, but we can attest to the fact that great care when doing so is needed.....but it’s well worth the effort - the views are good from the top! It also gives a different perspective of the small garden, which would have been part of the interior of the castle. Although not a large area, the place is hauntingly lovely and serene.....and, not surprisingly, there’s a local legend which refers to the “magical” disappearance of the daughter of a Moorish governor who lived there. She can, apparently, sometimes been seen crying on the night of St. John - June 24th (the night of her disappearance) and, coincidentally the date of the town’s main festival! The castle, which is gated, is open every day until 5pm - entrance is free.
We’ve revisited the market a couple of times, now feeling comfortable and confident enough to pick out our own produce. We’ve bought goodies from a couple of pastry stores, but the Pasteis de Nata from the market are still at the top of the list - although a café just one short block from our apartment is running a close second!
Feeling more than adequately rested, we decided that it was time to take a short trip to visit one of the closest little towns, Cabanas de Tavira, which is only 7km east and just 2 train stations away. Cabanas is named for the huts (cabanas) that were used by the tuna fishermen for storing their fishing gear. Built in the early 18th century the cabanas preceded the houses, which the fisherman eventually built for themselves and their families. Although fishing still plays a major role in the economy, tourism now plays an increasingly larger one - it’s become a popular tourist area. The village is still small - but on the 20 minute walk from the train station we saw many new houses, apartments and resort-type complexes springing up.......but for now Cabanas itself seems to remain a charming, sleepy little place. The view across the calm, crystal-clear waters of the lagoon towards the Ilha de Cabanas is best seen from The Avenida Ria Formosa, which runs the length of the town. A boarded walkway/promenade, which runs the whole waterside length of the Avenue, has shaded seats along the way....a perfect place to walk - or sit and just do nothing - except listen to the water lapping around the brightly coloured fishing boats. The opposite side of this Avenue is lined with cafés and restaurants and is also a great place to sit and view the same scene - which we happily spent some time doing!
We walked not only the small cobbled streets and alleyways of the town, but the whole length of the promenade - from the fishing port at the western end, where cabanas are still used by the fishermen, to the eastern end - where a shady area has a tiny sliver of beach that can be reached by clambering down a few rocks. We spent some time watching a man and his 2 dogs playing in the water, who had done just that! At this end there’s also an old Fort, São João da Barra - originally built in 1656 - now restored, privately owned and run as a very upscale B & B.
The beach of Ilha de Cabanas is reached by a very short boat trip across the lagoon, with lots of water taxis available to ferry people across....something we skipped this time, but may do if we visit this lovely little place again. The train station here is even smaller than usual and has no ticket office - but we’d allowed plenty of time for the walk back from the village to catch the return train to Tavira at the scheduled time. Unfortunately we saw the train pulling out just as we were approaching the station - at least 10 minutes early - or had I made a mistake when I made a note of the timetable? With no-one to ask and nowhere to go except back to the village, we found a shady spot to wait an hour for the next train.......wondering....where are all the cafés when we needed them?! A train arrived about 25 minutes later - unscheduled - but we happily climbed aboard......I did check the time-table back in Tavira, and I had “got it right” - just another unsolved mystery of travelling by public transportation in a different country!