3 Reasons You Need to Visit Tavira, Portugal Right Now!
You’re probably wondering, where in the world is Tavira?!?
This isn’t much of a surprise since Portugal is often overlooked as a travel destination, to begin with. So now if we want to talk about a city that is not Lisbon or Porto chances are that you’ve never heard of it. Well, worry not my friend. Let me tell you the top three reasons why you need to visit Tavira the next time you are in the south of Portugal. First off, where is Tavira anyways? Tavira is located in the famous Algarve region on the south coast of Portugal. There are great beaches, authentic culture and relaxing vibes on offer in this lesser-known city. So let’s dive into it! Here are the top three reasons you need to visit Tavira, Portugal right now!
Number One — Tavira Island
OK, here’s number one. There’s an island! Yup, you read that right. Tavira has an island called Tavira Island just a few hundred meters off the coast. It’s 11 kilometers long and can be accessed with a water taxi that runs at regular intervals. The island has pristine white sand and even though it’s not far from the main city you will feel like you’ve just escaped to the middle of a tropical paradise as you relax with a cold drink and a refreshing sea breeze. This would be a great place to plan a picnic or a family day trip when you want to relax.
Number Two — Portuguese Food
We all know that places like Lisbon are renowned for their great food. But did you know that there are some gems to be discovered in Tavira as well?
We’re not talking about the typical tourist traps but instead, we want to highlight typical homemade Portuguese food. The kind that feels like the Portuguese grandma that you wish you had made it for you with love! Yup, that’s the stuff! So if you are willing to search out Tavira you will stumble upon some great authentic Portuguese dishes.
Our top recommendation and a personal favorite of ours is Casa Simão. This is a quite unassuming place at first glance. Once you enter though you will start to see why we recommend this place so much. After sitting down you are served delicious local bread, pate, and olives as your waiter scurries around to take your drink order.
Casa Simão also has an amazing plate of the day and the price is affordable, only a little over 6 euros. Yeah, that’s right it’s dirt cheap. Did we mention that this is a full meal with a lot of food and it’s all good? Depending on the day you may be offered choices of fish, meat or a vegetable dish. We love this place so much, just writing about it makes me want to pay them a visit. So the next time you are in Tavira visit Casa Simão for us, you won’t regret it!
Number Three — Culture
So how can we describe this one? Well as you stroll leisurely along the cobblestoned streets as the sun sets you won’t help but feel like you are walking in some bygone village that existed a hundred years ago. The lanterns light up the night ever so faintly and so you decide to walk up the steps to the castle that dominates the city skyline. As you look out onto the city you can feel the culture and ambiance oozing from every corner. Yeah, that’s why we love Tavira and why you will love it too!
Tavira is not a place to rush around but instead to bask in the pace of people that actually live and inhabit the city. Take things at the Portuguese pace and let your problems drift away. We hope that these three reasons among many others to visit Tavira will motivate you to pack up your bags and head on over. Trust us, you’ll be happy you did!
Have you been to Tavira? What did you think of the city? Let us know below, maybe you found something we didn’t see!
