After much deliberation, we decide to make day trips to Tavira and Loule from Faro. They are each within a 30-minute radius of Faro. Loule is the most populous (72,000 to 26,000 inhabitants)of the two, but Tavira is more compact and easier to walk around the historic center. So, we decide to visit both on consecutive days.
First up is Tavira. We take the train to the city, and then walk to the main square near the Jardim do Coreto with its old bandstand…both products of the 19th century.
The Old Roman Bridge of Tavira is probably the most famous site in town, and it isn’t even Roman. Rather, it is a medieval structure built in 1667. The bridge was probably inspired by an earlier, less trustworthy, Moorish construction and it has been rebuilt a few times due to floods and the need to accommodate modern foot traffic.
The river that this bridge crosses may be the only one in the world (or at least in Portugal) that has different names depending upon which way you look. If you look to the left of the bridge, it is called the Rio Sequa. If you look to the right, it’s called the Rio Gilao. The Gilao is closer to and flows to the ocean; but why the hell this river has two names eludes me. I have researched it and come up empty.
Maybe it’s a guilt complex that they stayed neutral during World War II; but there definitely seem to be more monuments to World War I in Portugal than in other countries. Their monument in Tavira stands in the Praca de Republica. Tavira had a regiment in the “Great War”, and this monument commemorates those who belonged to that regiment and died in combat.
We don’t cross the bridge yet. Staying on the Praca de Republica side of the river, we walk along the banks of the Sequa.
Passing the Igreja da Santa Maria, we have reached the highest point of Tavira. I wish it were all downhill from here, but life isn’t that easy. The church holds the remains of the Portuguese knights who conquered the city; however, we go into neither the church nor the castle-which is right across from it. Instead, we go into the castle gardens-and we are glad we make that choice.
This garden is enclosed by stone walls and castle ramparts and it is free to enter. Lots of families here, which belies the gardens earlier use as a cemetery.
There are some pretty decent views of Tavira and the surrounding countryside from the ramparts.
Despite it being off-season for flowers, the garden still delivers with its reddish-purple bougainvilleas; which seem to be prolific here.
My girlfriend has her heart set on seeing something in Tavira. It is a camera obscura called the “Eye”. The Eye is located on a tower (it used to be the town’s water tower), and it supposedly reveals a 360 degree panoramic view of Tavira. But it is a Sunday, and the Eye is closed. My girlfriend is furious.
In the 16th century, it used to be a convent. If so, those nuns really lived it up, because the former convent (Pousada Convent, now a 5-star hotel) is spectacular-especially the courtyard. We stop here for drinks and a rest.
We decide to go to the coast (yes, Tavira has a coast-sort of) when we are snacking in the former convent. So, we hire an Uber to take us there. There is some confusion where he leaves us off. Either the driver didn’t know the complete directions, or this is as far as he can go. Whatever. In any event, some walking is in our future.
We have to walk to (and over) the Ria Formosa, anyway; and this is done via the “Pedras del Rei” pedestrian footbridge. Here, the Ria Formosa is more choked by marshlands than it is in Faro, although it may be dredged to allow the passage of boats.
Many people walk between the beach and the parking lot on the far side of the bridge…almost two miles. I don’t know for sure what my travel companion thinks, but I’m glad she has agreed to take the train to the beach. For there is a miniature narrow-gauge diesel train which makes the 10 minute trip from the marshes to the beach. It used to serve the local tuna fishers to get their catch inland.
As I said, the trip to the beach takes about 10 minutes. There are surprisingly few birds on the marshes. Fewer than I expected. I guess they are able to find better spots along the relatively huge Ria Formosa. The marshes turn into woods, revealing an old train, before we arrive at the beach.
Barril Beach is not for surfers. In fact, the waves here are rather tame. It’s popular with families, and it is quite long. Just hope the kiddies don’t walk to the nudie beach about two kilometers away.
The most famous feature of this beach is the “anchor cemetery”-a memorial of anchors which used to moor boats and nets from the former tuna fishing community. The anchors were placed here in 1964, when industrial fishing pretty much took over and the local tuna industry was finished.
The tuna fishermen lived in barracks just beyond the dunes. Most of these have been preserved; but many of these have been incorporated into the cafes, restaurants, and gift shops at Barril Beach. About the best you can do these days is stop to read the info boards.
We spend quite a bit of time at Barril Beach: first, sitting on a bench eating lunch; second, my girlfriend goes down to the ocean to test the waters and dip her toes in; and, third, we walk about a kilometer down the beach and then back again. After a quick bathroom break, we take the train back to the bridge and walk to the pay parking lot. Then our Uber adventures recommence.
How we get to the other side of the Sequa, I’ll never know-although we do walk some after the Uber lets us off. All I know for certain is that there are boats galore on this side of the river and a big covered market place (the Ribeira Marketplace)-although it is closed at this hour.
As we were unable to find a restaurant that was open for an early dinner, we invaded a mini-mart and ate snacks in a deserted outdoor cafe near the river. After a stop in a souvenir shop, we crossed the Old Roman Bridge (for the first time) and made our way back to the train station. Goodbye, Tavira! I had a good time despite the Ubers.
Loule
We take a bus to Loule, and it only takes us about 20-30 minutes to get there. We already know that the attractions are more spread out in Loule; but in addition, it is Monday-when most of the sites in Europe close their doors. Loule is no exception.
One site that can’t close because it is in the center of the roundabout at Largo Gago Coutinho is the “Happy Dancers” sculpture and fountain created by a Dutch artist, Jits Bakker. The installation is supposed to symbolize the warmth of the region, happiness, friendship, and life. One feels happy just looking at it.
Another place that’s usually open is the Mercado Municipal, or city market. The market, which is actually a bunch of stores, was inaugurated in 1908. We pop in to buy a few snacks, and then we’re out again.
What I like best in Loule is the Chapel of Our Lady of Conception (Nossa Senhora da Conceicao) located inconspicuously on the small Rue Dom Paio Peres Correia. Built in the 17th century, this chapel must have (like so many others in the Iberian Peninsula) been erected on Islamic-era ruins. Straight ahead is a small gilded wooden altarpiece; but what makes this chapel special are the intricate azulejo tiles on left and right which tell the story of Mary. You are not supposed to take photos here; but the attendant is busy chatting on the phone, so I snap away.
Both of us are hungry, so we step into the Cafe Calcinha for a bite of lunch. This cafe is supposed to be a replica of an old Brazilian coffee shop and was opened in 1927. Not much has changed here since then-except, perhaps, for newer photos on the walls and the statue of a poet seated outside. He used to come here a lot.
Avenida Jose da Costa Mealha is sort of the main drag in Loule. Essentially, it’s a park and promenade separated on each side by roads going in the opposite direction. We spend a lot of time in Loule walking down this path. Somewhere along the way, it even has a bandstand replete with sculptures of a brass band.
The only thing we really have planned in Loule is a visit to the salt mine-and that is on the other side of the city. So we have to walk…past posters promoting a festival, an old drinking/washing fountain, and a bell tower.
The Campina de Cima Salt Mine is said (at 230 meters depth) to be the deepest tourist site in Portugal. Rock salt was discovered here when they were actually looking for water for their animals. But the place is clear across town, and we have to walk there. Besides that, when we finally arrive at the mine, we are told that the next tour would not be for a while and that it would take a minimum of one and a half hours! To get out of it, I pretend to be sick.
The truth is, we had run out of gas. With no ocean or natural body of water, most of the sites closed, and the long, long walk back across town, Loule has too many strikes against it compared to other Portuguese cities and towns. Too bad…under other circumstances.
Overall, Portugal not only met, but exceeded my expectations. Lisbon was hilly as we anticipated, but picturesque and beautiful. The palace in Sintra was King Ferdinand’s dream come true and a dream to visit. No parties in Lagos; but a lot was packed into that small town. I’ll never forget the rugged beauty of Sagres or the many sites of Faro…and Tavira and Loule gave us a taste of the Algarve, or Portugal’s most southern region. Not a bad trip. Not bad at all.
Musical Finale: “O Malhao, O Malhao”-A Portuguese Folk Song