Cabanas de Tavira

[Satsuma]

We first discovered the Algarve 2 years ago staying in Cabanas de Tavira in April. At that time of year it was quite quiet but with plenty of restaurants & the fisherman took you over to the beach in his boat for 1 euro each. On the other side there is a restaurant/snack bar & the normal facilities but they weren't open in April, think they open early June. The town is built up especially further back but alot of apartment complexs do seem empty. Since then we have stayed in twice Santa Luzia, just next to Tavira, which we love. It is mainly locals (although plenty of apartments being built further back, again mainly empty) but with some lovely restaurants, make sure you have a phrase book as a lot of the menus are just in Portuguese, at good prices & again a boat over to the beach or you walk about 1km to the train that takes you to Barrill beach.

We went to Pego de Inferno waterful but was surprised to find it virtually dried up in November. We then visted Cabanas in August last year when it was full to the brim mainly with Northern Portuguese. A lovely new walkway along the front has been made which seems to be the place for an evening stroll & there were lots more boats to take you across to the beach even with beach parties (Ibiza style!) at night. We love the coast along to Spain, lots of lovely beaches that you find by just driving along the N125 & keep turning off to the right with direct access rather than having to get a boat.

Villa Real de San Antonio is a lovely atmospheric town with always something going on in the square & from there you can get the boat over to Ayamonte in Spain which is great to go for tapas for lunch & it takes about 20 mins. From memory the price was about 5 euros but remember that there is a 1 hour time difference so don't miss the last ferry back! As for Tavira again we love it...bars, restaurants, river trips, access to beaches, churches galore & not at all touristy even when we visited in August when there were concerts in the main square & row after row of market stalls.

This time last year we decided to go West & discovered Carvoeiro.We found the area completely different to the East & was surprsied when we arrived at night time at the bottom of what we now know as restaurant hill, & all of the neon lights reminded us of Blackpool! However this was just first impressions & we really enjoyed our time & the beaches are just so different to the East.Being this side allowed us acces to Villamoura etc but our favourite day was a trip to Monichque & then to Foia, the highest point in the Algarve. Very windy in June but what an experience & a lovely drive...even our hire car, a Matiz, made it up the hills.

Sorry I've gone on abit, everyone has their favourite places, mine being the East but I would still certainly revisit the West & love this forum that keeps me updated, although there are a few scary people on here who keep me entertained

[Michael Crane]

Satsuma, It'd be far easier to read if you put in a few paragraphs.

EDIT: Thank you.

[scottishstacey]

Thanks very much satsuma Very helpful guide!!

[EMM]

Carvoeiro and Neon lights, comparison with Blackpool. ???

Have I been living in a different place for the last 3 years or so.

Where is itm what have we been missing

[bruce]

Our friends visited CVO for the first time last year and that is they impression they got, they were not impressed at all and were amazed at the rubbish piled up along restaurant hill.

[EMM]

Then they should go to Albuefiera, Quateraia or Prai Da rocha and see all the hen and stag parties.

That is Blackpool ""

[HampshireRich]

http://www.taviraguide.com/beaches/praia-do-barril/

This one is very similar to the one above - if anyone cares to guess which beach it is

mystery beach.jpg

Don't be shy now

Beautiful sunny Skegness

[TomUK]

Tavira is well worth a visit. We always visit at least once every trip and enjoy a stroll around town and the riverside. Plenty of places to eat, and you can build up an appetite with a climb up to the top of the castle for some great views. The municipal offices are in the main square and a very useful town guide is available. Follow the river Gilao down stream (about a 20 minute walk, but also accessible by car) and you will reach the ferry terminal. The short trip out to the expansive Ilha de Tavira beach costs around three euros each return. The beach is served by a number of restaurants and has full facilites. When we were there in early May the river was a strange reddish brown colour and full of floating vegetation. This was at the time when southern Spain had just had some disastrous floods due to heavy rain which had also affected this end of the Algarve, so we presumed this was probably the reason for the heavy silt. A pity because usually the river is clear enough to watch the fish cruising about just below the surface. There is a fair sized modern car park close to the high level bridge - and it's free! You can also park by the river, closer to the centre if you're lucky, but this is a pay and display option.

As for Cabanas, we have spent an afternoon here on a couple of occasions. The waterfront is quite pleasant with a couple of cafes and shops, and like Tavira you have to cross the inland waterway by boat to get to the main beach. Away from the front, the outskirts are overloaded with new apartment blocks and villas. My pal has a time share there in a three-year old apartment block and he tells me that there are lots of development projects which have stalled mid-build and many of those which are completed have not attracted buyers and remain empty.

A bit further on, but soon reached on the A22 (say no to tolls!) is Villa Real de San Antonio. As mentioned elsewhere, there always seems to be something happening in the main square. Sunday seems to be a favourite day and on May 15th when we were there, they had an event in the square which was broadcast live by RTP1. Lots of singing and dancing with the Portimao Senior Citizens Choir serenading us and lots of interesting craft stalls around the edges of the square. The 15-20 minute ferry trip over to Ayamonte in Spain for a few euros is also worth while. A nice little town to stroll around and have a snack, but as Satsuma says, don't forget to put your watch forward one hour on the outbound trip!

There is a view of the Tavira bridge here: http://www.verdeland.com/live-webcam-ta ... tugal.html - it's a live webcam.

[snaj1]

Having visited CVO area on anumber of occasions and loved the area, we had hoped to
visit this year. However we were unable to find a villa which all 7 of us could agree on, but we found a villa
in Sta Rita, East Algarve, which we did.
However when trying to find a forum on the East algarve as good as this one to post on I came up short and I did think about posting on here
for advice on the East Algarve, but I've been beaten to it.
It is going to be our first time East of Faro and I wondered if anyone has any info on Sta Rita itself.
Although we are not spending our hard earned Euros in the CVO area this year we have booked our car with Algarve Driver.

Snaj

[laserblazer]

If you have a car, take a trip to Vila Real and the castle at Castro Marim. Then follow the road north along the river. At Acoutim, there's a beach area on the river with a snack bar, changing rooms and showers. Swimming in the river is great.

Isn't it nice to have a thread which is useful, interesting, relevant to the Algarve and no flaming.

[snaj1]

Thanks lazer,
Yes, I must say that this is by far the best forum I am a member of.
I went to Gran Canaria in april and mainland spain last year and didn't find any forums as half as good as this one.
I enjoy the banter (reading and participating) on this forum as well as all the 'differences of opinions'

[HampshireRich]

Isn't it nice to have a thread which is useful, interesting, relevant to the Algarve and no flaming.

It should be on this part of the forum - this is the public facing bit and this particular forum is for topics relating to CVO and the Algarve. It is meant to be informative, polite and useful. Chit-chat, by definition is for non-CVO topics - hence the diversity, differing opinions and "challenging debates" (for want of a better description).

[laserblazer]

It's still nice.

[SJ & RE]

Hiya,
Just returned from 10 days in hot hot hot sunny Cabanas de Tavira.
Still very pretty. (Note it is nothing like Tavira as it is much smaller but with plenty of bars and resturants everywhere)
Someone I see mentioned Lisbon and Tavira in the same sentence, please note it is a two and a half hour drive one way to these places. Toll is £20 each way.
Many apts still empty and not sold, therefore great deals can be obtained to purchase or rent.(Especially for cash purchasers)
Water taxi fayre to beach across the river is 1.50 Euros return.
Boardwalk along river is very pretty and loads of cafes and resturants open.
Average prices as follows ; 1 Euro for a beer, 90 cents for a coffee, 1.60 Euro for a fresh orange juice made with 4 oranges, 2-4 Euros for a huge alcoholic coctail. Dinner for 2 with two courses each and the couvert, water, 4 beers and a bottle of wine, 2 coffees total 50 Euros.
Tourist menus per person (3 courses with alcohol - either a large beer or a large glass of wine or a soft drink 7.50 - 13 Euros.(Most places do this)
Meals very varied in choice. Large sizes, no bad meals.
Many typical Portugese resturants - very different choice of food from Western Algarve.
Recommend; Pedros, Europia, Al Fonte, Le Charette, Casa Algarve, Ideal, Grellos.
An excellent Brazillian place ( D. Ines) and a superb French/Belgian resturant, O Monte.
Some good bars, The Jolly Sailor (great food),Quasimodas, the old Barrel, Esmereldas.
Best bar with a swimming pool and great fun is the Hairy Lemon, good food.

[joeysoap]

Carvoeiro and Neon lights etc

we had been toying with the idea of an apartment somewhere sunny from around 2006 onwards. hence lots of very varied holiday destinations and lots of sussing out the locality etc. Fuerteventura in the Canaries fitted the bill fairly well except ...... long flights and not a great choice of carrier. Nice in France, really good but pricy .... and new taxes in France next year so maybe just as well. Far side of Albufeira - and yes , we really did enjoy Albufeira - Balaia nice but too far from town. This side of Albufeira - Gale, nice, great beach but not a lot else. Santa Luzia near Tavira, nice, quiet, very Portuguese, absolutely brilliant for a holiday but....... Same for Tavira.
Lagos, now were are serious, but for the money we were prepared to spend nothing jumped out at us. Visited Carvoeiro for the first time in 2009 and nearly every box ticked. Scenic and photogenic, good supermarkets nearby, cliffs and beaches, bars and restaurants and yes admittedly neon lights. but it is the whole pacakge thats important and we discovered in some places (gale and santa luzia) that when a little bit of neon is missing we missed it too. we were probably lucky in that the developer reduced the apts in price few weeks before our visit and there was only a few left. history now but we purchased on a Friday and the other apts were sold over the weekend. old Irish saying: what's for you won't go past you.

would we recommend other resorts for a holiday: absolutely .
are bars and restaurants in Carvoeiro as competitive as other resorts: yes and no. Albufeira yes. Santa Luzia/Tavira no.
would we swop (exchange) for another location: No.