The best road cycling routes around Faro (São Pedro)

Historic bridge over the Rio Gilhão in the center of Tavira

The current bridge, contrary to its name, has nothing to do with the Romans. It was only built in the 20th century. The original Roman bridge no longer exists, but it was present here.

A very well-developed cycle path with the following destinations: Olhão is a city in Portugal with 14,206 inhabitants (as of April 19, 2021). Olhão is located in the so-called Sand Algarve, the Sotavento. This is the name given to the region that stretches between Faro Airport and the Spanish border in eastern Portugal. Among the numerous architectural monuments are a number of historic public buildings, various social housing blocks from the Estado Novo regime, the 17th-century fortress, and two Baroque parish churches. The historic town center as a whole is also a protected monument, and a tidal mill can be visited just outside the city. The Ria Formosa Natural Park is a nature park surrounding a lagoon in the southern Portuguese Algarve. With a protected area of 170 km², the lagoon is one of the largest lagoonal nature reserves in Europe. The lagoon itself covers 83.5 km². Fuseta, also known as Fuzeta, is a town and former municipality on the Algarve coast in southern Portugal. The German author Holger Karsten Schmidt, writing under the pseudonym Gil Ribeiro, created a crime series set here.

The Gilão River flows through the center of Tavira and plays a significant role in the city's history and life. It flows into the Ria Formosa lagoon, making Tavira an important trading and fishing center in the past. Along its banks lie characteristic white houses, bridges, and pleasant promenades. The river is lined with cafés, restaurants, and parks, such as the Jardim do Coreto, making it a beautiful place to stroll, enjoy the views, and experience Tavira's local atmosphere.

Bar O Farol unfortunately closed

If you look west from the bridge you can see a old Roman bridge when a legend starts - At the time of the Muslim occupation and Christian conquest of the kingdom of Algarve, there was a Moorish princess called Séqua and a Christian knight called Gilão. The two met and fell madly in love, living in the throes of a forbidden love. The lovers met secretly every morning on the bridge that joins the two banks of the Tavira River. And, one of those mornings, they were surprised by two military factions: on one bank of the river, the Christian faction and, on the other, the Moorish faction. When they were found, the knight and the princess knew that they would be accused of treason. So, dramatically, they ended their lives. Princess Séqua threw herself to one side of the bridge (upstream) and the knight Gilão threw himself to the other side (downstream). And, according to legend, they still roam the river today. This explains why the same river has two names: Séqua on the side of the river's source and Gilão on the side of the mouth. Gilão and Séqua are, after all, the same waters, and Tavira… the fruit of their love.

If you look west from the the Bridge you can see the old roman bridge where a Legend starts. At the time of the Muslim occupation and Christian conquest of the kingdom of Algarve, there was a Moorish princess called Séqua and a Christian knight called Gilão. The two met and fell madly in love, living in the throes of a forbidden love. The lovers met secretly every morning on the bridge that joins the two banks of the Tavira River. And, one of those mornings, they were surprised by two military factions: on one bank of the river, the Christian faction and, on the other, the Moorish faction. When they were found, the knight and the princess knew that they would be accused of treason. So, dramatically, they ended their lives. Princess Séqua threw herself to one side of the bridge (upstream) and the knight Gilão threw himself to the other side (downstream). And, according to legend, they still roam the river today. This explains why the same river has two names: Séqua on the side of the river's source and Gilão on the side of the mouth. Gilão and Séqua are, after all, the same waters, and Tavira… the fruit of their love.

The old Convento das Bernardas has been rehabilitated under the magical hand of Portuguese Architect Eduardo Souto Moura integrating old architectural components with new simplistic design characteristic of his work.