Approached through green fields studded with almond trees, the photogenic town of Tavira is the most attractive town in the Eastern Algarve. Lined with 18th-century houses topped by pyramidal Roman-tiled roofs, it was one of the most important Moorish settlements in the region, along with Silves and Faro.

The proximity of Tavira to the Moroccan coast bolstered its importance, formally recognised in 1282 by King Dinis who gave its seamen equal rights to those of Lisbon. It achieved city status in 1520, having become one of the largest ports in the Algarve.