traveldk.com

The ramparts of a 14th-century castle still stand vigil over this delightful riverside hamlet nestling on the upper reaches of the River Guadiana. On the Spanish side, the equally slumbering village of Sanlúcar amounts to a mirror image of Alcoutim. Once upon a time these two neigbours were at war with each other and it was in the castle that Dom Fernando I of Portugal and his Spanish counterpart, Henrique II of Castile, signed a short-lived peace treaty in 1371. Boats regularly shuttle between the two villages.

Alcoutim

Thought to have been a Phoenician settlement in origin, this quaint coastal hamlet commands one of the most unspoilt locations in the Algarve. A patchwork of fields and meadows surround a bluff crowned by an 18th-century fortress. Lying in its shadow is the parish church, its whitewashed candescence playing off the façades of the fishermen’s cottages lining the tiny square.

The timeworn frontier town of Castro Marim looms with genteel poise over the mouth of the River Guadiana, and its twin castles bear witness to the strategic importance the settlement played during centuries past. Grand views from the ramparts of the main 13th-century stronghold encompass the Reserva Natural do Sapal to the north and Vila Real de Santo António to the south. Spain shimmers in the distance. See Villa Real and Castro Marim.

Much of this wetland park comprises working salt pans, but it’s also a major winter feeding ground for spoonbill, greater flamingo, Kentish plover, avocet, black-winged stilt, Caspian tern and other birds. The visitor centre is located on the edge of the saltmarsh, and there’s a lovely nature trail. See Walks in the Algarve.

Stunted palmeiras stud Santa Luzia’s long esplanade, swaying lazily in the sea breezes. The village is synonymous with octopus, and dozens of emptycovos (pots) can be seen stacked near the quay, the hapless contents of which are probably on the dinner table. Summer sea safaris depart from the quayside and cruise the waters off Ilha de Tavira.

Churches are emblematic of Tavira, with nearly 40 towers and spires piercing the town’s skyline. Two are of great historical significance: the Igreja da Misericórdia, the Algarve’s most important Renaissance monument; and the Igreja de Santa Maria do Castelo, final resting place of Dom Paio Peres Correia. The elegant Roman bridge spanning the River Gilão is another landmark that lends character to a town considered by many to be the most charming in the region. See Tavira.

Moorish-style lattice door,Tavira

Tavira