Local Area Information
WHERE IS SANTA RITA?
You are based to the East of Tavira, close to Manta Rota and Vila Nova de Cacela.
You are 15 minutes drive from Tavira which lies at the centre of the Eastern Algarve coast and is a most picturesque town. As you wander along the cobbled streets, you'll see an abundance of history. A Roman bridge links the 2 parts of the town across the River Gilao, its sides decorated with traditional old bars and restaurants where visitors can get busy doing nothing simply watching the world go by and the fish that jump in the river! They are currently replacing the old bridge which was built as a temporary bridge over 20 years ago as they have realised that the second bridge is a necessity.
For those who enjoy sightseeing, there are so many churches (37 in total!) to view, along with the town castle, several monuments and above all, a visit to the ‘Camara Obscura’ is not only highly recommended but absolutely fascinating and uses an optical instrument to offer a 360° panoramic-view of the town which is the perfect way to capture the essence of Tavira.
You can take a tour of the whole town in a miniature 'train' or a TUK-TUK.
Diners have a huge choice of restaurants, many specialising in sea food and those who enjoy cooking at home should head for the fantastic municipal market where a wealth of fresh food is on offer each morning: fish, seafood, meat, deli, fruit and vegetables - much of it caught, reared, killed, made, grown and picked locally. It is just on the left hand side as you go over the bridge to Tavira past the Grand Plaza.
During the high season, there are open-air festivals and evening events with dancing, music and other local shows which everyone is welcome to enjoy. Tavira is a lovely family orientated town, with a charming ambience and a wonderful, ‘laid back’ atmosphere, and certainly has something for everyone.
For a little more shopping and ‘cosmopolitan’ atmosphere, Monte Gordo with its numerous restaurants/bars and the famous Casino along with Vila Real de St Antonio are definitely worth a visit where good local food is served and typical Portuguese handcrafts and goods are readily available.
For nature lovers there are forest walks, cruises along the River Guadiana or nature trails along the Ria Formosa Reserve where bird watching is in abundance! By travelling Westwards there are some excellent shopping centres in Faro and Guia as well as the famous Water Parks and Zoo Marine (wonderful for children), all easily reached by car (around 45 minutes) or by day trip coach.
The Spanish border town of Ayamonte is a mere 5kms away where the delights of another country can be sampled along with wine, Tapas and shopping and can be reached by bus, train, ferry or car. If you go to Vila Real de Santo Antonio, you can get a ferry across which takes about 5 minutes and costs around 1,50€ and is good fun. The ferry leaves every half an hour in both directions.
Seville is around 150km which takes about 1.5 hours but is an amazing place and you can always stay overnight as they have some very cheap accommodation. There is also a coach service from Tavira
For budding historians, as well as Tavira, Castro Marim Castle is interesting.
